In a heartfelt reflection that resonates deeply across Sierra Leone, Alpha Amadu Jalloh has penned an inspiring piece titled: “Everyone Here Is a Relative,” calling on citizens to rediscover the bonds of love, kinship and humanity that once defined the nation’s spirit. His essay reminds Sierra Leoneans that beneath political colours, ethnic differences and religious affiliations lies one unifying truth: the blood that runs through every Sierra Leonean is the same.
Alpha Amadu Jalloh paints a vivid picture of a nation that was once deeply connected, where a Mende man could raise a Temne child, a Krio family could host a Loko guest and generosity knew no tribe or colour. He laments that somewhere along the way, political divisions and selfishness eroded those values, replacing compassion with competition and unity with partisanship. “When you peel off the green, the red, the blue, you will find only blood; the same red blood that flows in every Sierra Leonean,” he writes.
He recalls scenes of shared humanity that have defined Sierra Leone’s resilience: mothers sharing their last meal with neighbours, youths rebuilding homes after disasters and strangers embracing each other in moments of grief. “This is who we are at our core,” he notes. “This is what it means to be Sierra Leoneans.”
Yet, Alpha Amadu Jalloh warns that the nation’s social fabric is being torn apart by political intolerance and greed. He urges Sierra Leoneans to look beyond party lines and see each other as family, bound by a common destiny. “When a Sierra Leonean child dies from hunger, it is not the child of one tribe or party; it is our child. When a young man loses his way to drugs or violence, he is our son. When a woman dies giving birth in a rural clinic, she is the mother of us all.”
Echoing the wisdom of the past, he recalls the generosity of older generations who never asked about one’s tribe or political loyalty before offering help. “Our grandparents lived that way. They knew no party colours, only humanity. They shared salt and soup, joy and sorrow,” he writes longingly, urging the new generation to return to that spirit of kinship.
Quoting from his broader work, Monopoly of Happiness: Unveiling Sierra Leone’s Social Imbalance, Alpha Amadu Jalloh highlights that the country’s greatest poverty is not material but emotional: “Our greatest poverty is not the lack of wealth beneath our soil but the lack of love within our hearts for one another.”
To the nation’s leaders, he delivers a powerful appeal: “Lead as if the people are your family, not your followers. Govern as if the nation is your home, not your inheritance. The office you occupy is not a throne; it is a chair in the family house.”
He extends his message to the Sierra Leonean diaspora, urging them to stay connected and engaged: “Your voice, your remittances, your sacrifices and your longing for home are the unseen arteries that keep Sierra Leone’s heart beating.”
The essay closes with a stirring call for reconciliation and unity. “Let the SLPP shake hands with the APC. Let the PMDC break bread with the NGC. Let Christians fast with Muslims and Muslims celebrate Christmas with their neighbours,” Alpha Amadu Jalloh urges. “Let the mountains of Koinadugu and the shores of Shenge speak one language again, the language of peace, dignity and love.”
In “Everyone Here Is a Relative,” Alpha Amadu Jalloh offers more than a reflection; he delivers a timeless reminder that Sierra Leone’s strength lies not in its wealth or politics, but in its people. His words echo a nation’s longing to return to its roots; where compassion triumphs over division and unity becomes the heartbeat of progress.
“Sierra Leone was never built by strangers; it was built by a family that forgot how related it was.” – Alpha Amadu Jalloh.
