Disneyland Fortress

The ultimate reason that we’re here in Sierra Leone is because Gearoid is doing research. He is evaluating a European company that is creating bio-ethanol fuel by growing and processing sugar cane. Gearoid’s research in a nutshell is to see what local people think about the company. What are the benefits and the limitations? In his preparation to come back to Sierra Leone, Gearoid had been in contact with the people with the company and had discussed what kind of support if any he needed from the company. Gearoid’s only requests were access to the findings of a survey the company was completing and that they sign a MOU stating they won’t sue him if his findings aren’t positive of the company. The company was eager to agree to these terms and offered other amenities such as housing and transportation. Ethical Gearoid gave a firm “no thank you” because he wanted his research to be as unbiased as possible and it might affect the interpretation of his research if it was found out he was living in a house paid for by the company he was evaluating. A very valid ethical argument on his part.

Then we got here and reality set in. The place where Gearoid needs to conduct research is farther outside the city limits than he expected and transportation was going to be an issue. The housing situation in Makeni was another problem.  The oven that was our first house was uncomfortable, filthy, unprotected, and was making me sick- literally. While living in these conditions, after delivering his recently arrived graduate student to her company house, Gearoid found out how the other half lived. He made the mistake of telling me. Air conditioning was blowing the house to an almost too cold temperature. One of the people living in the house revealed he was in the bath when the doorbell rang. Bath?! Doorbell?! I stopped Gearoid at that point. I didn’t want to hear more and then promptly went to take my bucket shower by candlelight. 

Two days later with a heat rash covering most of my body and Gearoid surviving off of two hour of sleep, he broke down and said he would ask about company housing. I asked him numerous times about the impact on his research and he stated honestly that the effects mean nothing if he can’t do his research because he’s sick and unable to sleep. I smiled in the dark heat of our room and trying not to scratch my rash, fell fitfully to sleep thinking about air conditioning.

After a brief respite at a guesthouse, we were given the go-ahead to move into the company house. At this point, living in the company house is still a temporary solution but it may become permanent and if it doesn’t we have a better housing option lined up. Our new place is outside of town near the village where I used to work and Gearoid played football. In order to get to the house you have to turn off the main highway onto a narrow dirt road that is lined with a few houses but mostly large mango trees. After passing through the trees, the shade gradually disappears and the land is filled with construction sites of houses in various stages of completion. Some of the more establish houses already have small farms with groundnuts, pineapples, and cassava growing. After the shade, it soon becomes obvious where we’re heading. Large compound walls with barbed wire loom up in the distance. It is a Disneyland Fortress. All the house needs now is a neon sign that says “White People Live Here. All Others Keep Out.” Granted this was my first impression as I was immediately put at unease.

Large metal doors opened, after a brief conversation with the guards, letting us into the compound. The house is huge with two en-suite bedrooms, two other decent sized bedrooms with a shared bathroom, a spacious entry way, a living room outfitted with satellite television, a large kitchen with two fridges, a freezer and an oven, and a couple of terraces in case you want to sit outside. The air conditioning greeted our skin upon first entering. It felt refreshing and sinful at the same time. We dropped our bags off in our room and I walked around the house with my mouth gaped open. This house with all of its comforts made me very uncomfortable.

Just across the road were poorer families with no power, who sent their children down to a well to carry water back to the house. The safety of the compound walls made me feel unsafe as if there was a target on our backs that announced to everyone around us that we lived here. The other people who live in Disneyland Fortress only leave and arrive on the compound via big white trucks making our existence out in this village even more noticeable. When I introduced myself to the woman who comes daily to clean the house, she ran into the kitchen and asked what I needed. I tried to explain I just wanted to know her name. The guilt was oppressive. I felt like a failure for being unable to live in our old house without water and power and comfort. How unfair that I got to live in this comfort while others were living in poverty down the street?

Then I got my first night of uninterrupted sleep in the AC. I actually woke up feeling a little bit cold and searched my luggage for some socks and a light sweater. When I returned home that afternoon it was by foot and the guards all thought I was just trying to get exercise-not realizing that I didn’t have the luxury of a big white vehicle driving me around. After a sweaty walk it was a relief to walk into a cool and clean home. My laundry had been cleaned and ironed and was waiting for me in a neat pile. The dishes that had been dirtily covering the counter were cleaned and put away. I washed up and made myself a cup of tea and then sat and watched Days of Our Lives on the giant flat screen television. Was I really in Africa?

The truth is I got over my guilt really quickly. I’m not trying to justify anything. Yes, all of the work I do is on a voluntary basis. I walk and get public taxis. I go to the local market for groceries to make local food. I talk to people on my walks and say good morning and how are you in the local dialect. Yes, I do all of that and it doesn’t make me feel better about my current living conditions. What sadly makes me feel better is the cool AC. The effective daily cleaning woman- Francis- and that I can unwind with an hour of television. I can live almost more comfortably than I did in the Netherlands. All that griping I did about not having an oven- I have one now. I can watch the Food Network Channel. Our house in the Netherlands didn’t have satellite TV, AC, or Francis. I enjoy living comfortably and despite all my good intentions to be a giving unselfish person the comfort of the house has eliminated all feelings of guilt that originally arose from moving into Disneyland Fortress.

That’s not to say that Disneyland Fortress is not a house in Africa. A family of lizards lives behind the television and at night we are constantly battling all manner of bugs that somehow find their way into the house. If Francis didn’t come daily, the bugs might overtake the house. One night I came home late after a get together and flicked on the light to see a swarm of flying ants calmly climbing the walls and ceiling. The only place where I get reception on my cell phone is behind the refrigerator and I have to crouch there to send texts and make phone calls. The bad reception makes it impossible to have internet.  A few days ago I came home to see a headless tailless green mambo snake that the guards had killed as it attempted to get into the house. The path I have to walk everyday is littered with mango carcasses that have fallen from the tree and cracked opened into pulpy messes that attract all manner of creatures. At night, the path is even scarier. When meeting friends for a drink or for dinner after the sun has set, I only have a flashlight to light the way and along with avoiding puddles and mango messes, I’m also making sure no creatures come out and get me. The other night a passing frog almost gave me a heart attack.

One of our guards proudly displaying the deadly snake he killed. I think it became someone's dinner after this picture was taken.

The comforts of Disneyland Fortress are also weakening me to life outside of the house. Once I leave the cool interior for someplace in town that doesn’t have a fan or AC- which is most places- I get very hot and am unable to cool down. One night our generator ran out of fuel and I was unable to make my cup of tea. I complained to a friend that if we lived in a house without power I would have a thermos of hot water ready for tea but with no power in this house I was unable to use the electric kettle. She reminded me that I have a propane stove that has nothing to do with electricity and I could have still had tea. It didn’t even occur to me as I am completely addicted to power again. Despite my newfound weaknesses, I choose the comfort. Because if I am going to be here for 6 more months and want to retain my happiness and love and affection for this country, I honestly need comfort. Disneyland Fortress isn’t so bad. The AC is worth the new darkness on my soul.