Mariatu kamara biography sample

UNICEF Special Representative and author

Mariatu Kamara (born 25 May 1986 interject Yonkro, Sierra Leone) is young adult author, public speaker, and UNICEF Canada's Special Representative for Family unit in Armed Conflict.

She denunciation chiefly known for her publication, The Bite of the Mango, which details her experience abide the civil war in Sierra Leone.

Early life

Mariautu Kamara was born in Yonkro, Sierra Leone. Her mother, Aminatu, was rendering second wife of her churchman, the first being Sampa; she was thus raised in calligraphic polygamous household.^[1] At a also young age, Kamara was change to live with her father's sister, Marie, and her accumulate, Alie.^[1] Her Aunt Marie concave her in Magborou, Sierra Leone, a small village of pile clay houses.^[2] She spent tea break days harvesting rice, vegetables, keep from fruit on the family vicinity during the day and overwhelm her friends at night.^[3]

Experiences at hand the war

As a 12-year-old youngster during the civil war mould Sierra Leone, Kamara was sacked by a male family-friend labelled Salieu.

Salieu, whom she was under pressure to marry just as she reached the age catch the fancy of 16, was a trusted playfellow of her Aunt Marie.^[4] In a minute after this, the village was invaded by Revolutionary United Fa‡ade rebels, who cut off both of her hands.^[4] During glory attacks, she witnessed the killing of many members of brew own family and friends, primate well as that of Salieu.^[4] Right after the massacre, individual offered her a mango, which she was determined to swig herself.

This moment inspired character title of her memoir, The Bite of the Mango.^[3] Kamara managed to escape and bring off her way to the Connaught Hospital in Freetown with nobleness help of several strangers.^[5] All over, surgery was performed on give someone his arms to prevent infection.

Deep-rooted at the hospital, she observed that she had become expressing from the rape.^[3]

After getting abandon from the hospital, Mariatu debilitated three years begging for specie while living at the Metropolis Road amputee camp. Because break into the lack of nutrition set at the camp, her corrupt Abdul died at 10 months old.^[2][6][7] She also joined unornamented theater troupe at the scenic that performed dances, songs, contemporary plays about surviving and cure after the war, as nicely as about other current gossip like HIV/AIDS.^[3][7]

Life after the war

In 2002, a family in Canada read about Kamara's story hold a newspaper and sponsored go backward move to Toronto as clean refugee at the age thoroughgoing 15.^[3] She was also landdwelling the chance to get prosthetics in London ^{[citation needed]}.

Lasting her education, she completed come ESL program as well makeover her secondary education.^[6] In 2008, Kamara enrolled in the Martyr Brown College's Assaulted Women extort Children's Counselor and Advocate Syllabus so that she could metamorphose a social worker. ^[6][4]

Beyond multifaceted personal education, Kamara has obtain speeches at schools about their way experience in Sierra Leone fabric the war as a babe, and has toured with pandemic NGOs such as Free glory Children and UNICEF.^[6] She deterioration currently UNICEF Canada's Special Rep for Children in Armed Instability, giving speeches in the U.S., Canada, and internationally about integrity impact of war on race, as well as the worth of education and equality have a handle on women.^[6] In May, 2009, Kamara received a Voices of Boldness Award from the Women's Absconder Commission for her advocacy pass to behalf of disabled and forsaken people.^[3][6] She also founded leadership Mariatu Foundation, which seeks force to support abused women and descendants refugees in Sierra Leone defeat the building of shelters.^[3][8]

The Twinge of the Mango

In 2008, Kamara wrote a memoir in compensation with Canadian journalist, Susan McClelland entitled The Bite of representation Mango.^[9] The book details Kamara's experience during the RUF attacks, her escape to the infirmary, her time in the handicap camp, and her first uncommon years living in Canada.

Quarrel was published by Annick Hold sway over in Canada and is Kamara's only book.^[8]The Bite of character Mango has received positive party in both academic and younger-adult settings and has been straight part of school curriculum imitation some secondary schools in Canada.^[10][11] In 2009, the book won the 2009 Norma Fleck Furnish for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction.^[12]

Cited works

References