Mariatu Kamara is a prominent Sierra Leonean author, public speaker, and UNICEF Canada’s Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict. She is best known for her powerful memoir, The Bite of the Mango, which recounts her harrowing experiences during the civil war in Sierra Leone.
Born in Yonkro, Sierra Leone, Mariatu Kamara grew up in a polygamous household as the daughter of Aminatu, the second wife of her father. At a young age, she was sent to live with her aunt, Marie, and her husband, Alie, in the small village of Magborou. There, Kamara spent her childhood working on the family farm, harvesting rice, vegetables, and fruits by day and enjoying time with friends by night.
At just 12 years old, Kamara’s life took a tragic turn during the civil war when she was raped by a family friend named Salieu. Under pressure to marry him at the age of 16, she faced unimaginable trauma. Shortly after this incident, her village was attacked by Revolutionary United Front rebels, who brutally cut off both of her hands. In the chaos, she witnessed the murder of many loved ones, including Salieu. After the massacre, a stranger offered her a mango, a moment that became the inspiration for her memoir’s title, The Bite of the Mango. With the help of compassionate strangers, Kamara managed to escape to Connaught Hospital in Freetown, where she underwent surgery to treat her injuries and discovered she was pregnant from the assault.
Following her discharge from the hospital, Mariatu Kamara spent three years at the Aberdeen Road amputee camp, where she struggled to survive by begging for money. Unfortunately, due to malnutrition in the camp, her son Abdul passed away at just 10 months old. Despite these challenges, Kamara found solace and purpose by joining a theater troupe that performed plays, songs, and dances focused on healing and resilience after the war, as well as raising awareness about pressing issues like HIV/AIDS.
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Mariatu Kamara’s journey from a survivor of war to an influential advocate for children affected by conflict showcases her strength and dedication to making a difference. Her story continues to inspire many around the world.
The Afro News Vancouver small to carry the weight of her experience and the story that results from it. Unlike many of the child victims of war, the horrors Kamara saw, the assaults on her spirit and the brutality she experienced from age 12, are now being read and discussed by young people the world over. Her book, The Bite of the Mango, was begun before she even spoke English and not long after her arrival in Canada, still in her teens. With the support and story telling skill of journalist Susan McClelland, the engaging book offers well crafted characters and plot. The twist of course, is that Mariatu Kamara is very real – as are all the details of her story. On a recent stop on a North America wide tour to promote the book, she and Susan brought the reality to her generation. The duo, now more than writer and source, and more like family than friends, spoke to three schools in the Lower Mainland. Kamara contrasts life before the war, “Things were nice before, we lived in the village. We respected and helped each other. She muses on the difference between the earthy calm of her early years and the culture she now lives in. “All we value is life. The ability to live each day. Here people take little things very seriously and it causes them anxiety. At home we learned to respect everyone and take them for who they are.”
