Aida-M: For the beginning can you just tell us your name and how old are you and where you are from?

Mariama: Yes.

Aida-M: When the war started everything changed, right? Can you talk a little bit about your life during the war? How was it, what did you survive, your family?

Mariama: When the war started I don't remember much, than I was 6. When the war started I was with my mom and my family, and my all family in Sierra Leone. The war started, rebel, they were shooting, they burned our houses, we had to escape go to different places, than after a little awhile when the place was cool enough than we went to Guinea. I staid there about one year and than my grandfather, my father's father, fight for us than we came here.

Aida-M: So before you went to Guinea, you went somewhere else, right? Where did you go?

Mariama: Kabala.

Aida-M: That is also in Sierra Leone?

Mariama: Yes, in village.

Aida-M: Do you remember anything specific about the war, like one image, one picture that stays in your mind that happened to you?

Mariama: Yes. My grandfather got killed, my mom's dad, ha gat killed.

Aida-M: And you saw that. Did you see it?

Mariama: Yes.

Aida-M: How was that for you? How did you feel?

Mariama: I was sad. I was crying.

Aida-M: So you run away, you went to Guinea, right? How was your life in Guinea?

Mariama: Guinea was quite normal. I have friends there, I was taking lesson and than every day go to interview until we get here.

Aida-M: Many people that told us the story from Sierra Leone, they said that when they went to Guinea they were discriminated by Guineans. Did that happened to you?

Mariama: Yes. Like the color skin. They called us XX Sierra Leoneans, we are rebels, we didn't fit in that much. They look at us like we are trouble people, they don't want to stay with us. Like when they stay with us we will start the war in their country too.

Aida-M: So you left Guinea and came to US? When did you come here?

Mariama: April 27, 1999.

Aida-M: Did you come here by yourself or whole family?

Mariama: I came here with my mother, my dad, my grandma, some of my cousins, my uncles and my aunts.

Aida-M: How was it when you first came here? How was it too different or was it hard or easy for you to adjust?

Mariama: It was a little bit hard to adjust to the system 'cause when I first came it was kind of cold. ...Aida-M: Can you tell me more what was different, what was hard for you? For example, for me when I came here using subway was really, really hard for me, getting around the town, people- it was really different. So how was it for you, was it hard for you to get around the town?

Mariama: Yes. It was kind of hard, like when I started going to school my dad had to pick me up and I was scared of the kids, maybe they might call me names, but I was pretty good. Than I tried to adjust, start making new friends.

Mariama: Not really.

Loulou: But why were you scared? Did they do it to somebody else, why were you scared?

Mariama: Cause when I first came here my family was speaking that the kids here are bad, that they like calling names when they see that children are a little bit different from them they make fun of you, so when I went to school I was kind of scared about that, but I went to International school. We are kids from all over the world so they were not that bad, cause they understand a little bit more about the war.

Loulou: What's school like? Is it different system from back home? What do you think about school and system here?

Mariama: It was different. Here kids can talk to the teacher any way they want, back home you can't. If you talk to the teacher any way you want they kick you out of school or they beat you up.

Loulou: Did you like that, did you like the new system?

Mariama: YES I did! Because I was able to say my own opinion without getting beaten up or scared that something would happen to me.

Aida-M: You came here and you try to adjust, but New York is different than Sierra Leone, of course, and when you came what was your biggest concern, what was something that worries you a lot, as being a refugee and staying here? Like when I came my concern was that people are going to discriminate me, that they are not going to like me because I am a refugee and that I came to their country. Did something like that happened to you or is anything worries you, like maybe getting to right school or collage or drugs and alcohol or something like that?

Mariama: I didn't face anything like that jet- like discrimination, but sometimes in school when the kids see that you are quite, that you are scared they want to take advantage like laughing at you, cursing at you, but in a few months I got used to it.

Loulou: Do you like it here?

Mariama: Yes, I do.

Aida-M: What do you like most about New York and being here?

Mariama: Well, I like mostly that I've got freedom of speech, freedom to say what I want to say without being scared.

Aida-M: And back home you didn't have that kind of freedom?

Mariama: No. Not that much.

Aida-M: Do you think of going back home? Do you think that one day you are going to live there?

Mariama: Not to live there probably but to just go there and visit.

Aida-M: Why is that?

Mariama: Because there are many people educated, in my country we got lots of educated people and now all of them got job, bot here you could get educated and than you

Aida-M: When you were back in Africa, when you knew that you're gonna come to United States, like when I supposed to came here I imagined America like being a paradise, that you can have anything you want, you pick money of the tree, what did you think?

Mariama: Oh, my God! I was so happy. I was jumping around saying my friends, like showing of - "I'm going to America! I'm going to America, you guys are still staying here." I was so happy. I am going to haven, first world, cause that's how people call it. When I came here it was different.

Aida-M: Did you get disappointed?

Mariama: Yes, I got disappointed. When I came here first at the airport it was kind of clean than when I went to the Bronx I started seeing people on the floor I was like what is this. I started seeing mosquitoes flying I was like are we in America or we are just staying in some other country in Africa and my grandfather said we are here and I was like wow. I didn't expect it to be this way anyway, like to see garbage on the floor. I thought it was so clean.

Aida-M: Everybody thinks like that. That's what I thought because on TV you see everything is perfect.

Mariama: They only show rich people, they don't show environment that much.

Loulou: And from what I've got you are staying in the Bronx now, right? With who you are living with?

Mariama: Now I am living with my father and my aunt on 161st.

Loulou: What is your relationship with your dad? For many kids, now that they are here and they know that you can't beat up kids they do all the crazy stuff with their parents things that they would never thought about back home. So what is your relationship with your dad?

Mariama: Well, I respect him and sometimes he scream at me but he never touch me because he knows the rules here and most of the time he is not home- he goes to work, he works at two jobs. When I go home he is not there he is at work; we only see each other in the morning. In the morning I have to leave home and go to school so we don't see each other that much, we don't talk that much.

Loulou: So do you do stuffs that would make him mad and you say he wouldn't touch me because he knows the rules?

Mariama: No.

Aida-M: Did relationship with your father changed since you came from Africa?

Mariama: Yes, it did change. In Africa he have much time with me, he used study with me , he helped me with homework, but here no. He don't have time to sit with me and have little conversation, he is only working.

Loulou: And what do you think about that?

Mariama: I don't really like it that much, like sometimes if I don't understand stuff he could come next to me, look at dictionary but now I am all by myself, study by myself. But Annie got an after school, so sometimes I go there and they help me with the homework.

Loulou: Have you ever confronted him and told him about that?

Mariama: Not really, I know that it's really hard for him. My mom is in my country and my brother and he has to support them. He got a lots of friends there he have to support them too, it is hard on him too. I understand that.

Loulou: You are here now and I was just wondering what was it like on September 11th when the tragic event happened? What was it like for you?

Mariama: Really I never thought that will ever happen here. I was scared, I was at school and they were talking about it. I , was so scared and then I started crying, wondering how my dad was because he works downtown Manhattan, if he was ok and stuff like that.

Loulou: Why were you scared?

Mariama: I don't know? Like I have seen war before, I know what it means, so I was scared I didn't want that to happen in this country 'cause everybody came here to find freedom, to be free not to see all those stuffs again.

Loulou: And you said you never thought it will happen in the United States? Why did you think about that?

Mariama: Here is a free country, they got money, they got security, so I never thought things like that will happen. Like they would see it and stop it.

Loulou: Like after Sept.11 personally I had another feeling about the United States and N.Y. So what's your own feeling about N.Y and the U.S?

Mariama: Life is not totally that safe. We still living like this[shaking her hands]

Loulou: You mean its kind a shaky?

Mariama: Yeah

Aida-M: So you don't feel safe right now?

Mariama: Not that safe

Aida-M: So do you feel safer now here or back in your country? Would you prefer right now to be back in your country or here?

Mariama: I think here 'cause I watch the news sometimes and they be talking a lot about it and they say President Bush is trying to stop the terrorists attacks and blah, blah and stuff like that. So I prefer here.

Aida-M: So right now you are in school, right? What grade are you in?

Mariama: I'm going to the eighth grade.

Mariama: I'm gonna continue with my schooling, getting good grades, then go to college and study something. I'm not really sure yet what I wonna be. I might be a book writer, an actress, a model, something like that, I'm not really sure yet.

Aida-M: So you are interested in writing. OK now you've been through war, you know what it is, so what's your opinion about war? Say right now you are sitting in front of an important person, say George Bush, what advice will you give him about war? Like if its a good thing or a bad thing, you know should you have war or not?

Mariama: I will tell them to never allow it because there is no reason for fighting in this world 'cause only innocent people die. Like people like President Bush, even if there is war in this country they will always be safe, people like us die so it's not really a good thing. They should have like chance to settle things without fighting.

Loulou: Mariama you said that you – ok - first of all I want to know where exactly you were in Sierra Leone when the war broke out?

Mariama: I was in Roberts Street, west end of Freetown.

Loulou: And you said the rebels attacked, and when was that when they attacked?

Mariama: The one that I remembered a lot about is the Jan 6th.

Loulou: Jan 6th in what, in which year?

Loulou: And so the rebels attacked and what happened when they attacked?

Mariama: Like, when they attacked we didn't prepare much. Like we didn't have enough food then they attacked at night and we were so scared, we were not supposed to make noise, they were running and burning houses, we were scared that we were all going to get killed.

Loulou: What was it like? Well of course you said that they were burning houses but what was the atmosphere like outside? How did you feel?

Mariama: I was scared because when you look out of the window you could see houses burning, people screaming and stuffs like that.

Loulou: Did they like make any attempt like you know entering your house or attacking your place because for us they did once and then our neighbors they came out and said no that you know they shouldn't do that but they persisted and after a while they were able to jump and enter our compound and that made us scared and really had to leave. So what was it like in your situation?

Mariama: Yes they did went to our house then my aunty came in and told us to jump over the fence and then we jumped and then they started talking to my uncle 'cause he was a pharmacists and he got two hospitals and two cars so they were like we gonna burn down the house and my uncle was like please don't burn it is there anything we could do? And they were like yes give us some medicine first and give us some good ones then we will give you your key. Then my uncle start giving them the medicine and they be like if this medicine is not good and if any one of us get killed then we will come here and kill all of yah and then my uncle pack some medicine and they were like because the house was four storey like four apartments and they were like all of yah gather some money and give it to us and then we will leave yah. So all the people in the house they took out all their money and gave it to them and then when they were going they burned down the pharmacy and they burned one car.

Loulou: And then was it immediately that you guys left? After the rebels left?

Mariama: We left right then and then a guy came to where we was and told us that they burned our car and the hospital and then all of us started crying, we didn't know if our uncle was o.k and stuff like that.

Loulou: So what happened after that?

Mariama: After that we didn't stay in the house anymore because we were scared they were going to come back then we went , then we went to my grandma's house and we stayed there for a little while.

Loulou: And so what happened after you left your grandma's place?

Mariama: Then we started going on , then they said the ECOMOG from Nigeria have come to rescue us. Then when things were ok now then we take off to Guinea.

Loulou: Earlier on you said you went to Kabala?

Mariama: Yes

Loulou: Did you head straight to Kabala or were you like forced to go to Kabala because you had no choice?

Mariama: Yes we were like forced to go to Kabala because there was like normal a little bit at that time but then the rebels attacked after sometime and we have to escape all the way back to Freetown. Then there the ECOMOG had come to rescue us then we went to Guinea.

Loulou: How did you travel to Guinea?

Mariama: Hum when the ECOMOG had come to rescue us , my Grand father called us from the U.S to ask us if we were doing ok and then we were like ok yeah and then he was like ok he's gonna file for us so we can come but first, we had to go to Guinea.

Loulou: How many of you were in the boat?

Mariama: A lot

Loulou: Your family?

Mariama: Um uh

Loulou: Can you name some of them? Like some of the people.

Mariama: You mean specific names?

Loulou: No

Mariama: Oh my aunty, my uncle, my dad.

Loulou: No siblings?

Mariama: No my brother was not there. We didn't know their whereabout. Where they were, him and my mom.

Loulou: When did you like got separated? you and your mom and brother?

Mariama: We were moving from one place to another inorder to escape so that's where we got separated.

Loulou: Did you hear about them when you got to Guinea?

Mariama: No.

Aida-M: So when did you hear from them?

Mariama: When we came here about one year then somebody called and said my mom is now there. We found her and my brother and I talked to them. I told them I was ok and at that time I was crying because I was happy to hear that they were ok.

Aida-M: Your brother is still there?

Mariama: Um uh

Aida-M: And how old is he?

Mariama: He is about five years now.

Loulou: And how are they doing?

Mariama: They are doing fine now because my dad like every week or month sends them money.

Mariama: No um you know like us we really wanted to come here, like them my mom she is not that young she just want to stay there like have a business or store that she could work and she would be ok.

Aida-M: Um you said when the rebels came they burned the pharmacy and the car, um you said that you didn't know anything about your uncle, when did you find out about him? Was he ok?

Mariama: Yes he was ok. When we went to my grandmas house, then he was, he was trying to escape then we all met there.

UMREEN: How did you travel to your grandmas house?

Mariama: We walked . Like when we see some rebels we will hide in some corners then we started walking till we get there.

Umbreen: What do you mean you hide in some corners?

Mariama: Cause if the rebels spot us they might shoot you at that moment.

Umbreen: So you hide in houses?

Mariama: Uh huh we hide in houses and some corners.

Loulou: Um you said earlier on that you lost your grandfather? Was he the only person you lost in your family during the war? Or were there other relatives that got killed or anything happened to anyone?

Mariama: Yes he was the only one that I lost.

Loulou: Because why I am asking your uncle was at the house and in some of the other stories that we heard because you know the rebels were after young men and boys and you know when they see them they will ask them to join them and stuff like that so and also young girls because they wanted the girls to cook for them and also to be their wives and stuff like that so that's why I'm asking if any of your relatives fell a victim of such kind of thing.

Mariama: No

Aida-M: Did you ever you know face rebels? Did they ever came up to you?

Mariama: No I never face them. Just when they came to our house and then we jumped over the fence and run away.

Aida-M: And you saw them?

Aida-M: Yeah how did they look? Did they look any different or were they the same?

Mariama: They are the same Sierra Leoneans like us.

Aida-M: And they were fighting against you

Mariama: Yeah

Aida-M: Why? Can you please explain a little about that because like me...

Mariama: Just powers like some of them want to become the president and they don't have that chance. So they just do what they could do.

Loulou: Umm you said you saw them RIGHT? through the window how were they dressed like? What did they look like? Like physically?

Mariama: They looked dirty like dressed raggily[with a smile]

Loulou: I don't know were they like old people or young ?

Mariama: No they were young boys and they have little kids like five, six years old. Um uh[nodding] they do.

Aida-M: What do they do for them, the five, six year olds?

Mariama: The little kids they just give them drugs they don't know what they are doing.They could shoot anybody they want to and stuff like that.

Aida-M: So they are using children even five, six year olds to shoot people?

Mariama: Yes

Loulou: And what do you think about that, looking at, 'cause well at that time they were like your peers and then you see them with guns? How did you feel?

Mariama: I was scared because I thought they might take me and my brother too, so when we saw them we went and jumped over the fence because we didn't want them to take us.

Umbreen: Did you take anything with you, from your house when you went to your grandma's house?

Mariama: We didn't have time for that you just run for your life. You don't time for packing clothes, just run for your life.

Loulou: And what about when you left your grandma's house for Kabala, did you have the chance to take anything along with you?

Mariama: No. I didn't.

Aida-M: Not even from Guinea to here?

Mariama: Yeah from Guinea to here I did took some clothes.

Loulou: How did you get those clothes 'cause you said your house was burnt?

Mariama: Yeah when we went to Guinea, my mom, my dad buy me some clothes.

Umbreen: How could the Guineans tell you are from Sierra Leone?

Mariama: They just know us because when you went there you didn't know how to speak French and their other languages. So they just tell and you know we are clean from them they are dirty and stuff like that[smiling] and they like keep calling us names and stuff like that.

Aida-M: When you went to Guinea, did you go to school then?

Mariama: No my dad's friend. He took us lessons.

Aida-M: Ah so because you didn't spoke French?

Mariama: Yes

Loulou: And back home I'm pretty sure you had a lot of friends. What was it like to leave all those friends behind and go to another country. What was it, how did you feel?

Mariama: It was hard. I missed them a lot but I had no choice.

Loulou: You had no choice 'cause you had to....

Mariama: Run for my life too.

Loulou: And do you keep in touch with them?

Mariama: Right now when I'm here I don't really know where they are.

Umbreen: Um I wanna ask you a question about Guinea, You know you said that the Guineans treated you somewhat differently. Is there an incident that you can remember in which you found out that you were discriminated? Or did someone came up to you and said something to you?

Mariama: Yeah there came a time in Guinea when they went to houses looking for Sierra Leoneans, like if you don't speak their language they'll take you away. We were lucky my dad speak their language, he speak French, good French he was the one who talked to them.

Aida-M: Was it hard for you living there and not talking the same language? Was it hard to go out, you know go to the market? Or somewhere?

Mariama: Yeah it was hard 'cause Sierra Leone I was running, I was going to Guinea to get a better life and when I went there I was discriminated because of who I am and blah, blah, blah and stuff like that.

Aida-M: And you came here do you believe that you found a better life?

Mariama: Yeah I did

Umbreen: How?

Loulou: Like back home we had like a huge house, compound and everything we were like happy but then here even though we live in a house but you can't compare the size and everything. So this is like a personal example I just... So give some of the differences why you think you are living a much better life here.

Mariama: Just the same thing I said before, here I could express myself with people listening to me and stuff like that and even in school if I don't understand something I could go up to a teacher, even if I'm late I don't get beaten up because in my country if you are late to go to school, they beat you up so the next time you won't be late.

Aida-M: But you said that your relationship with your father changed, it was much better home, and you also said that you had a bigger house and you know .So do you think its better here just because you have freedom of speech you know what about your relationship with your father?

Mariama: Now we are here I do miss my mom because she is still in my country and my brother too.

Loulou: And talking about the housing, back home you said you lived in a four story that's like an apartment, so here where do you live?

Mariama: Here I live in an apartment too but it is different. There you got a backyard, a big one where you could play and they got like something like a railing and you could sit down and see the street, everybody walking, you could go to your friends house without calling them but here you have to call them, they have to say they have to go somewhere, that they will see you another time so that's kinda different.

Aida-M: So you don't feel like you are having a real friend here?[ interviewee nods in agreement]. Why is that? Because I feel the same way too because everybody here is so busy going around and it is like different from back home. You just don't have a real friend. How is that for you ? Is it the same thing that they are all kind of busy, they are having their own thing or what?

Mariama: It is like if you wanna go over to your friends house, and sometimes they have excuses, you can't come over today I have to stay home and baby sit my brothers and sisters, I'm going to be with my mom today but back home they don't have all those stuffs, you could just go over to your friends house, play and they could come over to your house.

Aida-M: You missed that

Mariama: Yes

Aida-M: Ok then thank you very much for the interview and that you gave us you know a little bit of your time and um it was very nice meeting you and if you have any questions or you wanna ask anything, just...

Mariama: Ok what are you guys going to do with the tape? Are you going to do something special with it?

Loulou: Yes, I'm happy you asked about that. What we are doing this summer is a project sponsored by Amnesty International, then we as refugee youths filled in an application and told them that we would like want to interview refugee kids, you know so that they can like tell their stories, so we can write a book so that the world would like read and then know what its like, what life was like before the war, during and after so they learn a lot 'cause we all know, we've all learned that we have a lot to say and by saying these things people can learn you know from our experiences and know what life is all about. So that's what we are planning to do and maybe we'll make a short film about the whole process. That's basically what we want to do with your interview and the others we will be doing.

Mariama: OK

Aida-M: Do you have any more questions or something that you would like to say?

Mariama: Not really.

Umbreen: Do you feel you are part of this process?

Mariama: Yes I feel good at least other people could hear my opinion about the war.

Umbreen: If anyone could be your audience, who do you want to hear your story? Who

Mariama: I think I would want especially the American kids to read it so they could know that life is not all that, sometimes stuffs happen that you didn't even expect. They gotta be prepared.

Aida-M: Do you feel that by this interview you are educating people?

Mariama: Yeah I do, because not everybody know about the world, what's going on.

Aida-M: Well thank you again.

Mariama: Ok thank you for your time.

Loulou: Yeah thank you once again Mariama.

Mariama: You're welcome.