Leaving Sierra Leone to the shores of other countries without legal means posed a bigger threat to the life of travellers. Aminata Tejan Mansaray aka Nata has today explained her full temple run story to the wold and her constraints she faced from countries to countries until she finally reached in Sweden which was not the destination.
In a secluded place in the house, inside the laundry room, Nata explained to Karafilo how her temple run landed her to Sweden which was not the destination sh intended and the struggles she encountered on the way.
“I am still suffering despite being in the diaspora” Nata explains her story to Karafilo. According to Nata, she is one of the fortunate to be in a foreign land among relatives. Explaining her difficulties to Karafilo She disclosed to pay house rent fee over Le12,000 (Le12 million Leones old currency notes) per month for her family.
She added that, she has once been promised $1000 that could have been used to further her temple run journey to Italy. Her cousin brother has been living in Germany for years but despite the long years spent in foreign land, he turned her down with excuses of his sister having a wedding ceremony he must play a role at.
This disappointment from the brother made the dad to Nata had to go the extreme to use their family house as collateral to loan the money that was later used on her journey.
According to Nata, what really pained her were the words from his brother that were not encouraging to have supported her bold step she took by risking to travel through the Mediterranean sea to seek asylum to other countries in the world.
On her journey that does not have a destination, Nata reached Mali where at her arrival, had nothing to eat and had to sell two Africanas she got from her mum for survival.
To survive the problem of theft from bandits on the road, Nata had to braid her money in dollars with her hair but despite that, she was duped at Bamako on her transit to Nigel by guys she meet for dollar exchange. She later realized that from a citizen that spoke English. When was told how she had been duped, she instantly went to the place she had changed the dollars to notice that the guys had disappeared.
Going to a francophone country when you speak English should always gives you a thought of being always ready or better still have a trusted guide to help when it comes to the language and currency exchange. This was the unfortunate part of Nata’s journey as she couldn’t speak a word of french neither had a gist of their currency equivalent to US Dollars.
After being duped, Nata was later rescued by a man of God who speaks french. The guy was able to paid the balance transport fare to Nigel when she got stranded on the way because of transport fare. Since the foreigner was a Malian army man, he did serve as a big help to Nata as they passed checkpoints without being questioned because the man called her ‘ma cherie’ which in french means my dear. In the checkpoints they used, the man referred her as his wife and that gave Nata a free and loving trip to Nigel.
Reaching Nigel, Nata encountered two Sierra Leoneans namely, Jamal and Ibrahim who were heaven sent for her until she departed to Libya. When they reached Libya, Nata was arrested with her travel team and sent to prison for months. Later Jamal and team left Nigel and had a boat capsize that led to their death at the Mediterranean sea.
Looking for greener pastures in foreign lands takes a great deal of courage. This because, the more people keep traveling the more news hit the media of boats capsize and lives lost. But even as to that, they never gave up.
Further explaining her tragedy to Karafilo, Nata disclosed that each of their balloon boat could host over hundred and fifty passenger on board which is a way too much for the balloon. To power and steer the balloon, a 20horse power machine is attached to the balloon boat.
In the boat where Nata was, at the journey heading to Italy, they lost their way and to stock in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. She added that, despite their way being lost, they also faced with fuel wahala as their boat machine went off as a result of fuel. At that point in time, they were left with no other choice but in the hands of God and prayers as the boat was no longer on their control.
With God’s help they were partially rescued by some Arabs who later sent them to prison.
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