Jamaican philanthropist makes deep impact in Sierra Leone

Recently, the hard-working humanitarian made the journey all the way to the African continent to share positivity, presents and a lot of much needed school supplies that brought smiles to the faces of children in a faraway village many of us have never heard about.

One may ask how this girl from Old Harbour, Jamaica – born into humble circumstances – has now managed to traverse the globe, sharing and caring for the less fortunate in places many only hear about on the news. Well thanks to her charity, the Pollyanna Project Inc, named after her beloved mother, Stewart has become a global ambassador for change, working not only in her native land but also in Africa where she has paid particular interest to children, education and healthcare.

Recently, Stewart and her delegation were in Freetown, Sierra Leone after years of corresponding with influential figures on the ground there and learning about the needs of a village that lacked resources. 

“We have wanted to go there for some time. Since 2018, we formed a partnership online with Pastor Conteh and he has become a trusted friend, so we began sending athletic gear, laptops and other items to them. So it’s been a five-year relationship and we decided to go and see the village that we have been sponsoring for some time,” she tells Old Harbour News after returning to her home in New York.

“As a US diplomat, I travel with diplomatic status which makes travelling seamless so I’m very appreciative of that. We arrived in Freetown which reminded me of the downtown Kingston market setting with all the hustle and bustle; so it was a like a little bit of home for me. We stayed at a resort but needed to go to the Kakadema village which is four hours away so armed with private security and accompanied by a local reporter from the TV station, we set out for Kakadema.”

Located in the Biriwa chiefdom in northern Sierra Leone, the village of Kakadema is very remote and a throwback to a simpler life devoid of many of the basics that we now take for granted. The West African nation, which shares strong cultural ties with Jamaica, however still bear the scars of a brutal civil unrest that lasted just over a decade between 1991 and 2002. But the beauty of land is undeniable though foreigners are often urged to exercise a high degree of caution. There's a heightened risk of serious crime after dark, while public protests and demonstrations can occur with little or no warning and have the potential to turn violent.

Incidents such as armed robberies, carjackings, and burglaries have been reported, particularly in areas like Congo Cross, Wilkinson Road, Lumley Beach, and Aberdeen in Freetown. And it is through Aberdeen that Stewart and her team must go through to reach Kakadema. They had no such fears, though.

“The US Embassy told us not to travel at night so we got private security,” continued Stewart. “We had shipped the items in advance so when we got there the items were there to be taken with us to the village. We set out for the village early and I can tell that both the hillside and plains are beautiful. The experience is the same as if you were in Jamaica where you see people on the roadside and when you stop they try to sell you their fruits or wares. When we got there, the village people came out in their colourful costumes to greet us with drums and children came out in their uniforms. That is the culture in certain areas, for the people to come out and greet you. It was awesome. I experienced it in Ghana but to have it done there was so moving as they chanted ‘We love you. We appreciate you. Thank you for coming’. That is what they were singing for us. One member of my delegation was so moved that she started crying.”

It was agreed that they would spend one night in the village which came with its own set of challenges.

“There was no light, no running water, no wifi, no radio or television. Water came from a well so it took us back to our childhood of just making do with the basics of what we had. There is one generator and we had bought diesel fuel to run the generator to charge our devices so we were not completely cut off. But I can tell you this: we had the best sleep that night as there were no distractions at all. Just clean, fresh air and nature and everyone eating from one pot so it was communal living at its best,” Stewart recounted.

As Kakadema is a farming community, its inhabitants were only too happy to offer Stewart rice and cola and even a goat.

She said: “The next day the children armed with banners came and marched us into the community centre for the formal ceremony where the chief presented me with a handmade wooden plaque. The shipment that was sent was dismantled and we began presenting the children with their supplies. We had a quota but we soon realised that we didn’t have enough book bags  as we came with 200 but the children from neighbouring villages came out to greet us as well so we decided to give the little ones crayons and other small supplies while those from grade 3 up, got book bags.”

Though they got the job done, the Jamaican-born US citizen was not satisfied.

“I didn’t feel good that we never had enough so when we went by to Freetown, we knew we had to fix it,” she noted. “The next day we sourced enough money to buy 100 more book bags and we rented another vehicle, drove to a nearby wholesale and bought more supplies. We had enough to rent two vehicles and we went back to the village and the children who did not initially get, were given the additional supplies.”

Plans are now being forged to go back in 2026 with more aid to ensure the village’s sustainability.

“We observed a lack of resources and lack of education so we have some plans to help the adults in the community to be more self-sufficient. We have to be mindful that our ancestors didn’t take that boat ride for us not to help whenever we can. This trip has forever changed my life because these experiences make you look at humanity differently. It’s our responsibility and duty to help wherever and whenever possible.”