Ridgacre Methodist Church
Worlds End Lane/Faraday Avenue,
Quinton, Birmingham, B32 2RX
Thanksgiving Service
For the life of
Solomon Jonathan Cline-Williams
1937 - 2003
AGED 65 YEARS
Thursday June 12th 2003
12.30pm
Service Conducted by: Reverend Peter Featherstone, B.Sc.
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The Committal takes place at Lodge Hill Crematorium at 2.30pm
Donations received will be given to Solomon's charity: St Mary's Hospice, Birmingham.
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TRIBUTE TO SOLOMON JONATHAN CLINE-WILLIAMS
THURSDAY, 12 JUNE 2003
Solomon Jonathan Cline-Williams was born on 2nd August 1937 in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Solomon was educated at the Methodist Boys High School in Freetown. Before coming to the UK he worked for the Sierra Leone Railways. He came to the UK in 1961 and Birmingham became his home.
He worked for British Rail until 1990 before taking early retirement.
Solo, as he was affectionately known, was a very simple, peaceful and quiet man who took everything in his stride and took pleasure in listening to music.
Although Solomon spent many years away from Sierra Leone, he made sure that he kept up to date with all the news from people that would share their tales especially about his hometown of Kissy.
Solomon was born into a Christian family, attended the Hennessey Memorial Methodist Church, Kissy, Sierra Leone and served there as a chorister.
For those who knew Solomon well, there are many things that he will be remembered for, not least of all being his liking for fast cars and music.
Amongst his surviving relatives are his wife, children, cousins, nieces, nephews, aunties, uncles, and friends in the UK and abroad. He had been dearly loved and respected.
He passed away at the Sheldon Unit, Northfield, Birmingham on Friday, 30th May 2003.
MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PERFECT PEACE
Donations will be received for the St Mary's Hospice, via Cooperative Funeral Services, 137 Quinton Road West, Birmingham, B32 2RE.
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4.
Mrs Frances Neville (Nee Jackson)
6. Mr Bayo Lincoln Kamara17 February 1933 - 12 December 1988
7. Mr Salifu Konteh1 March 1922 - 8 December 1991
11.Mr Sydney Maurice Oluwolé Boyle28 December 1905 - April 1999
12.Ms Rosaline Isabella Delphena Coker30 July 1929 – 25 June 2002
13.Mr Solomon Cline-Williams2 August 1937 - 30 May 2003
14.Mrs Sislyn Grant (Nee Mills)
16.Mrs Adelin H.I. Cole (Nee Lisk-Carew)24 November 1944 - 17 August 2011
19.Mr Balogun Bankole Farah
20.Mr George Theophelous Robinson20 May 1922 – 7 February 2006
WE REMEMBER ALL THOSE LOVED Sierra Leone Association (Birmingham & Midlands)
MEMBERS WHO ARE NO LONGER WITH US.
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MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
SPEECH By Mrs Christiana Titahmboh
Saturday 25th August 2007
7pm till 1am
TALLY HO! CENTRE
Pershore Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B5 7RN
Tonight's Gala Dinner Dance is a very special one, because, tonight we are commemorating the 200th birthday of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act passed by the British Parliament on the 25th of March 1807.
This is an opportunity to remind ourselves that Sierra Leone's history is intimately connected to the abolition of slavery, as Freetown itself was originally founded as a colony for freed slaves and emancipated Africans.
We are still battling with the after-effects of this horrendous trade in humanity and with other forms of exploitation that permeate across race, gender and nation boundaries today.
Here in the centre of England, Birmingham played its own part even manufacturing the shackles used for slave chains. But today, Birmingham stands for the opposite and is a thriving multi-ethnic city, not afraid of tackling problems or of letting its hair down and knowing when to celebrate.
So it is more than apt that we are here now, welcoming our brothers and sisters from London and dedicating this night to honour the achievements and strides we have made.
There is much work still to do in Sierra Leone, but despite all the problems, we must remember and take solace in the fact that its very essence is about freedom!
So what else is there to say? Except, let the celebrations begin!
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SLA BIRMINGHAM
NEWSLETTER
The opinions expressed in this newsletter are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of the Sierra Leone Association (Birmingham & Midlands).
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ISSUE 6 - July 2005
Christians Aware
(Registered Charity No: 328322)
Visit to Sierra Leone
Led by Rena Partridge
24th March - 8th April 2006
The Christians Aware Group has been invited to Sierra Leone by the DISCET Christian Group in Freetown.
The aim of the visit is to build bridges of friendship and understanding which will continue after the visit has taken place. The visitors will be given snapshots of post-war situations in the country with a special focus on a few key projects. The hope is that the visit will help in the process of re-building and reconciliation.
The internal costs will be in the region of £411 per person and will include the hire of a vehicle and other travel costs.
External costs approximately £490.00 for the airfare & administration. (The prices are based on a large group. If the group is small the prices will increase a little.)
Further information:
Christians Aware
Barbara Butler, Executive Secretary,
2 Saxby Street, LEICESTER, LE2 0ND
Tel/Fax:0116-254 0770
E-mail:
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ISSUE 5 - March 2005
AID WORKER
ALEX FRANCIS
Members of the Sierra Leone Association (Birmingham & Midlands) would like to thank Sutton Coldfield Observer for reporting about the tragic death of Alex Francis whilst helping in Sierra Leone.
Emily Retter, Observer News (Friday, May 13, 2005) reported that "Alex Francis died in November (2004) after collapsing from heat-exhaustion near the end of a 15km run to raise money for community awareness of HIV and Aids."
The Association would like to express our deepest sympathy to Alex's family and friends and applaud his courage and sacrifice. We will also like to link up with Aaron Burt, Alex's university friend and his project to see how we can work together to help people in need.
We thank all friends, for the support and interest in Sierra Leone.
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ISSUE 4 - November 2004
Greetings from Winstanley R. Bankole-Johnson
Mayor of Freetown.
I hope this meets you in the best of health.
I am keen to be in contact with anyone with interest in our Historic City of Freetown and in your specific case, given our City Hall buildings were completely destroyed by rebels, I'm further thrilled by the possibility of accessing some assistance from the Sierra Leone community at home and in the Diaspora that will help us re-build our archives with pictures and other information relating to our fantastic city.
We are doing our best to reclaim the City council's traditional roles and hope our National Government will accelerate its devolution plans, which as you might be aware is the basis through which we can commence business proper.
From MARTINA HOOPER, Hon. Secretary
Dear All,
As the Christmas season falls upon us I would like to firstly wish you season's greetings and secondly remind you of the Christmas Social Evening that is happening on Saturday, 4th December 2004 at the Maryvale Parish Centre in Kingstanding. It promises to be a welcoming, happy and entertaining event for all who attend, and more importantly stands for a worthy cause the continued support of the Sierra Leone Association in Birmingham, which strives to maintain strong bonds within the community, promote awareness of the country and region, and support developmental activities to help those brothers and sisters who are living in poverty.
Please invite as many friends and family but if you could either order tickets or give us some idea of how many will be attending in advance this will make the catering arrangements much easier.
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ISSUE 3 - July 2004
ALAN SMITH, Vice-Chair of our Association, is also helping in Bonthe.
Having just returned from Sierra Leone, it is now time for reflection. I support a small local Non Governmental organisation (NGO) called BODYCON (Bonthe District Youth Consciousness), which is run by the Honourable Mrs Agnes Bassi, MP for the town of Bonthe.
Over the past seven or eight years BODYCON has run a clinic, orphanage, vocational training and has assisted with farming and fishing, supplying tools and seed.
Just lately BODYCON has linked up with "Friends of Africa" a UK Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) operating in five African countries. Friends of Africa has financed the building of two bakeries, one in the town of Bonthe and the other in Mokaba in the Imperi District, near the Sierra Rutile mines which when reopened in May next year/2005 will provide at list two hundred jobs for local people and indirectly support many more including those employed at the new bakery.
This last visit was quite different than any previous in that I travelled with Simon Wakley, Executive Director, Friends of Africa and Tony Baldry, MP for Bambury in the UK. I wasn't sure how I would fit in as I originally intended to travel just with Simon and Agnes, to discuss future small projects and improving existing ones and of course see old friends and enjoy being in Sierra Leone.
Due to Tony Baldry's busy life the visit had been put back several times but during that time I discovered Tony was not just an MP but Chairman of the Select Committee for International Development and many other things. Therefore, I took information with me about piassava and rice production both having been exported from the Bonthe District in large quantities in the past and found the time to share this information with Tony.
Many local people also were able to reinforce my comments. In the presence of Tony and Simon it turned out to the President of Sierra Leone, Ahmed Tejan Kabbah was asked to open the Bonthe bakery. It turned out to be a grand occasion. Half of the Government ministers attending which created great problems for Agnes who had to organise food etc. Still this also meant a good show of native dancing for Tony and Simon who had not witnessed such events before.
The breakdown of an outboard motor while crossing the Sherbro river and a wheel coming loose on a 4 x 4 whist travelling to Mokaba and a few other problems allowed my two UK companions to see how bad things are in Sierra Leone.
The main outcome of this visit was that Tony is now going to try and put this piassava industry back on its feet by linking up with UK broom manufacturers and help in other ways. It may well be that the short time I spent with the two gentlemen might well have accomplished more than I could even do myself.
One other outcome was that I never did the things I originally intended. Not such a hard thing as I am now left with a reason for making another trip to Sierra Leone.
<<<Alan Smith, who works for an educational charity in Sierra Leone (Bonthe District Youth Consciousness - BODYCON) was captured by rebels in the year 2000.>>>
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ISSUE 2 - March 2004
MARTINA HOOPER, has been to Sierra Leone...
Firstly, my story in brief is that after finishing my studies, and spending a year wandering round South America being refused interesting work due to lack of experience, I came across an ad for a volunteer development officer for Peace Child in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Seven months later, I'm sitting here in our sweltering office, chewing on a kola nut and listening to the cries of street sellers pass by outside, having almost reached the end of an intense but highly enjoyable and interesting placement. Secondly, apologies if what follows reads slightly like a youth manifesto but I can honestly say that it paints a more accurate picture of my time here (both in and out of the office) than any diary of events ever could!
Although my task was to "attract funding at all costs" and "get some projects underway", my role here turned out very different, and has been centred more around capacity building and planning than actual project work. Whether this was due to difficult circumstances or a subconscious influence of our current team's skills and experience it's hard to say, but there's no doubt that the time has been productive for the long-term future of Peace Child Sierra Leone. The difficult circumstances were a combination of two things:- the recent attitude change amongst local donors that following their own programme with just a handful of major partners is a more effective use of their money than funding individual projects, and lack of resources!!!!
When the few things you do have decide to break, so you decide to spend the few dollars you do have on replacements which don't work (or worse, blow up your whole system) it can be kind of frustrating - not to mention the wonderful tendency for people you need to see never to turn up and people you don't to inevitably stop by and demand your time and attention.) All the above makes life in a grassroots NGO interesting to say the least, and may help you understand why it's quite normal to still find us in the office right up until 9pm, when the rest of the city's gone home and we can actually get some work done!
That's not to say that I didn't get plenty of opportunity to socialise in fact, I'd say the Freetown social scene is the best I've ever experienced, Londoners or New Yorkers - "You ain't seen nothin'!" Between Krio Wendy's, JayBees, SafeCon at Lumley, ChinaHouse, Paddys, the Stadium, weddings, funerals, house warmings and naming ceremonies I fell in love with Soca and Ragga music and would dance any chance I got (the recent obsession with shaking the tumba makes it an especially good way to stay in shape!). Always spurred on with some Star Beer and pepper soup, they've been some of the best parties I think I will probably ever have the chance to attend, and I am now physically incapable of stopping my hips from gyrating in true salone-style whenever I hear a good beat!
By some mysterious twist of fate my colleague Sheku (the director of Peace Child) and I are both philosophers (not sure if that's a recipe for success or disaster!?..) and of course passionate about youth issues, so whether it's been concerning our own activities, those of other organisations, the government or the world as a whole, you can bet that we've had our say on the matter. Our favourite place to hang out is a restaurant called 'Stop-Press' run by a friend who also prints 'The Democrat' newspaper.
Here you come across like-minded people who will make room for you at their table and invite you to join in the discussion. They may start on a matter as light-hearted as the best way to cook seafood or get rid of nits, but will unfailingly end up arguing over (or should I say discussing vehemently) impossible statements like; "To marry the future it is necessary to divorce the present" or "Is it politics that turns people corrupt, or corrupt people that become politicians?", and the conversation never fails to be both enlightening and highly entertaining (I quickly learned that Sierra Leoneans absolutely will not allow you to remain with your beer glass empty!..).
As a visitor here it's easy to forget a war ever happened. I don't think anyone who witnessed the sight of the streets littered with corpses, children having lost their limbs, or their houses and businesses being burnt could ever forget, but for those who've arrived since then, Freetown is just a normal, bustling West African city. Many of the buildings downtown are riddled with bullet holes, or are just shells of buildings that were burnt down, but even these just become a normal backdrop after a while.
I find the war is generally mentioned amongst Sierra Leoneans in a constructive way, for example encouraging income generating activities amongst young people is recognised as a necessary development effort for actively engaging the idle youth, and those who might be persuaded to take up arms if their situation doesn't improve. To me, the war is normally mentioned in an awkward and embarrassed way - people (especially intellectuals) hate the fact that their country, once 'the Athens of West Africa', is now associated with the chopping off of limbs. However with each new person that comes here (either for work or to enjoy its kilometers of deserted white beaches) and goes back with a positive story to tell, that scenario eases and helps ensure that such atrocities never happen again.
As for the young people themselves; well I've always thought they are the key to a brighter future - after all none have greater stakes in it than they do - but I've never been so convinced as I am now. Here all aspects of humanity are so nakedly in-your-face (or at least to me as an outsider) that it becomes obvious how certain types of interactions between diverse social, economic and political sectors are essential for the foundations of a truly sustainable development. These interactions are especially needed across age groups - between the elders, who have a knowledge of life and first-hand experience of history, and the youth, whose fresh minds and long futures indicate a potential which if nourished and constructively engaged will be beneficial to everybody.
The only way to make a young person responsible is to give him responsibilities, and here in Sierra Leone there are certainly plenty of those to go around! It is more urgent, and I think much easier, for young people to get involved in development and politics in this country than in the UK. Low life expectancy means there simply aren't as many seniors to run the show, and institutions aren't so complex or deep-rooted due to their short history since independence (or even shorter for those which collapsed during the war and were re-established since).
This makes it an exciting time for us, and for other youth activists, since changes which will be hugely significant to Sierra Leone's development and future character as a nation are taking place before our very eyes, and in some small way we can even influence these. There is not enough youth participation, but it's only a matter of time (hopefully short) before people realise that if the country - and indeed the whole world - is going to achieve peace, this is what needs to be done.
Now that I'm back in the UK sat in front of my computer in my nice house with my nice bed, hot shower, TV, fridge and car Sierra Leone already seems like a distant memory and it becomes harder each day to really remember the hardships that even my best friends out there go through on a daily basis. I don't want to forget this, just like I don't want to forget the beauty and energy of the place, so I'm grateful to the Sierra Leone Association of Birmingham and the Midlands for welcoming me with open arms, and supporting my efforts to develop and maintain a lifelong link with the country.
From The Social Secretary - AMBROSE KOROMA
The Christmas Disco went very well. Many thanks to everyone who supported our effort especially all members who got the disco together, prepared the delicious food and those who donated raffle prizes.
The Rt. Hon. Clare Short, M.P. honoured the event with her presence.
£100 raised has gone towards combating Aids in Sierra Leone.
We look forward to seeing everyone at future events.
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ISSUE 1 - November 2003
From the Project Co-ordinator - DENNIS AMARA
The Project Co-ordinators's position was created as part of the Sierra Leone Association's executive during the 2002/2003 elections.
The need for this position arose from the realisation that the Association should continue to undertake well thought-out projects that would serve the needs of Sierra Leoneans in the Midlands and in Sierra Leone.
The mandate or role of the Project Co-ordinator is to identify such projects and formulate strategies for their implementation.
In carrying out his role, the Project Co-ordinator will undertake the following activities:
1. Identify reliable and credible organisations in Sierra Leone, preferably Local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO's) with whom SLA will work. Those NGO's will guide SLA on the priority needs on which projects should be formulated. Once the priority projects are identified, the Co-ordinator will prepare a project document and forge links with organisations in the United Kingdom that could meet those needs.
2. Catalyse brainstorming sessions with SLA members on how the needs of Sierra Leoneans in the Midlands can be identified and projects formulated to meet those needs.
3. Forge links with Sierra Leone organisations in the United Kingdom with the objective of undertaking joint projects that could benefit the people of Sierra Leone. Organisations interested in these objectives are invited to contact the Project Co-ordinator.
For the 2003/2004 project year, The Association is seeking assistance for Children's Learning Services, Sierra Leone (CLS,SL), an indigenous Christian NGO concerned with promoting child development through the enhancement of quality basic education, peace building, and food and nutrition security.
SLA has provided assistance towards the cost of shipping books, and 100 miscellaneous science CDs have been obtained for the participating schools in Sierra Leone. Anyone interested in supporting this project may contact the Project Co-ordinator.
From the Social Secretary - AMBROSE KOROMA
The Association has made considerable achievement both in raising funds for charity and bringing people together. We would like to do better but we can only do so with the support of every member in Birmingham and the Midlands.
My first disco as social secretary took place in December 2001 from which we raised the sum of £400. An amount of £200 was sent to Sierra Leone through UNICEF since the purpose of the disco was to raise funds for war affected victims during the civil war. We received a reply thanking us and hoping that we would continue to assist them on their tasks of helping children through their hardship during the war.
We also try to support families in the West Midlands. Our first brunch was held on 25th of June 2000. Some profits were made but most important of all, children were entertained together with the rest of the family.
The Association has been organising other social events including the last Christmas get-together. Christmas gifts were donated to children of Association members under the age of 12 and there was plenty to eat and drink.
We have also been able to give support to members whose families have been admitted in hospitals and attended funerals in the name of the Association. We have sponsored a Sierra Leone student in Fourah Bay College for a complete academic year.
Our next charity disco is on the 13th of December 2003 at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre. The Rt. Hon. Clare Short M.P. has kindly consented to be there. It will be a moral boost if we can all spare some time to help us raise funds for Sierra Leone and the Midlands.
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