Mariatu's Triumph: From Tragedy to Empowerment

After finishing this story, I'm left not only upset that it's finished, but heartwarmed. This true story about the life of Mariatu Kamara shares disturbing things that happened in Sierra Leone during the war that are not discussed here. Not only does it speak on world issues, Mariatu's remarkably difficult life, and her journey from being on the brink of death and poverty to her knew life where she willingly shares her story, but also sheds light on the use and abuse of child soldiers in the war.

This novel so far has shown me the difference in good and evil, and the difference between a corrupt system, and a heart like Mariatu's.

In the final chapters of this novel Mariatu is partaking in a journey to England where she's offered a fitting for prosthetic hands. She's very sad to leave her family, and when she arrives she comments on the remarkable amount of rain in London. Mariatu quickly discovers she doesn't like London, and it's too dreary for her.

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She also starts to despise using her prosthetic hands. While she's away, Mariatu begins to excel at using her teeth and arms to perform basic tasks rather than the prosthetics. Not only is she more comfortable with using her hands, but she's beginning to grow more confident in herself as well. She learns how to speak up for herself, and becomes very independent. She may not love London, but the opportunity gave her the chance to grow as a person, which I believe is an essential part of this story.

Mariatu finds out that Bill, the man from Canada, does not have any intentions of flying her to Canada. With Mariatu's new found independence, she puts her mind to getting to Canada on her own. I can connect to this situation, because one of my best friends Rowan put her mind to going to a special school in Montreal to train for Cirque du Soleil, and she made it there eventually. I admire their drive to get where they need to be. When Mariatu eventually finds her way to Canada, she knows she's made the right decision. She comes across a couple from Sierra Leone who take her in. Their names are Kadi and Abou and they push her to study English. Mariatu is soon attending school with Kadi and Abou's nieces. She has a lot of difficulty in the beginning, but it is not long before she adapts and thrives in this setting.

Some fellow students of Mariatu's decide they want to help her, and organize a benefit concert so they can buy Mariatu new hands. More journalists show up to question Mariatu, and one of them requests to meet her again. Eventually they start to develop a book about Mariatu's traumatic life. I think being Mariatu in this instance would feel very surreal. She's living a life far from what she could ever imagine, and she's learning about the world outside of Sierra Leone.

Mariatu returns to her village several years later. Her life has changed dramatically since her hands were cut off in this same country, but her heart remains the same. Mariatu finally sees her village for what it really is; a poverty stricken camp with her suffering family, friends, and hundreds of strangers. Mariatu visits to fact check the story of her life, and she is committed to bringing awareness to Sierra Leone.

The trauma Mariatu experiences is unbelievable. From watching several friends and family members be ruthlessly murdered, to losing her hands, to being raped, carrying and birthing the child, only to lose it to malnutrition, poverty and all the roadblocks in between. Mariatu shares her incredible story with the world. Against all odds, she survives a rebel attack by an army mostly of children her age, she walks herself from Manarma to Port Loko with freshly sawed off hands, and she makes the best of every bad situation thrown at her. Mariatu is an incredible woman, and her story shows a lot of evil, but overwhelming good and kindness in her heart.