Sierra Leone is facing a mental health crisis, with an estimated 10 percent of the population experiencing mental health problems. Due to poverty and a lack of resources, psychological help is scarce, leaving many suffering in silence. However, a group of individuals, activists, medical professionals, and NGOs are working together to improve the situation.
One of these individuals is 17-year-old Alusine Gibril Kamara, a talented artist who uses his artwork to promote mental health awareness. Despite facing challenges and setbacks in pursuing his dreams, Alusine has continued to create drawings related to issues of human interest, including mental health. Coming from a poor family, he dreams of receiving support from NGOs or private institutions to help him pursue his passion and study art at a university level. Through his creativity and dedication, Alusine is making a difference in his community and inspiring others to take action.
In an exclusive interview with him at his home in Lumley, Alusine shared with me his experience, hopes, and next plans with us at Salone Messenger
S.K
Tell us about the path of artwork you are focus on and why?
A.G.B ARTWORK
‘’My path of artwork is to use my talent to talk about social issues affecting children and young people in Sierra Leone, in fact, when I realized that I had this talent in me and waking up every morning where we are asked to fetch water in at around 5: A.M in the morning, at a time when one should be fast asleep, let alone in a country where her children and youthful population and engaged in drug abuse. I find this very troubling. I do not think as young people, we should grow up in such a society and become such type of people. I strongly believe that children and young people should grow up in a society where opportunities are there to go to school and live in dignify life, my passion of using my talent started when I woke up one morning, with my pencil and after fetching water, I could remember drawing an 8-year-old boy with a rope across his mouth, crying and with the words NOT AMONG. That artwork depicts my current predicament and that of many others who are born and grow up in a society where they wake up at 5:00 A.M in the morning to fetch water when they should be sleeping, where their parents discourage them to focus on their talents because the society they are born hasn’t nurtured much of such people. Where I find myself and that of many other contemporaries at the market places around 10:00 A.M selling cold water, running after each car for us to be able to feed our families when we should be in schools. This artwork I drew portrays the opposite of the society we find ourselves. I wanted our leaders and parents to know that this is not the society we should live in. I didn’t have the heart or even voice to speak this louder for our leaders and families to understand our pitiable plight and that of many others in the streets of Freetown, so the best way to seek refuge is to do this drawing that I could take a look at whenever I want to describe children and young people in Sierra Leone’’
”NOT AMONG” A.G.K artwork of young boy growing in society that lacks opportunities for them to realize their potential
S.K
In one of your artworks, there is one of different faces joint together with a message of Mental Health problems. Tell us more about this artwork?
AGB ARTWORK
‘’Mental health is a problem that has blazing up in recent times due to the number of children and young people engaged in it in sierra Leone. Since 2018, Watching some international news whenever I have the chance, I see lot of report on this troubling issue. In our country, many young people have engaged in taking drugs that affect their wellbeing which push them to do bad things like stealing, insulting their parents and end up destroying their future at a tender age. With the drawing of those different faces side by side helps send out a message of how our young people look like when they take drugs, it shows that they are no longer normal when they take drugs. I want to help in adding a voice to this growing concern in the world.’’
- artwork of Mental health problems by A.G.K artwork
S.K
In some of your artworks, you drew some past leaders and celebrities who are they and why did you choose to draw them?
AGK ARTWORK
‘’2 Pac Shakur, Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson and others, Having watched YouTube videos of their inspiring journey, I realized that they served as a source of inspiration to many, they went through a lot of challenges to be where they were. I drew them because they had talents and most importantly most of them were born and grew up a society where opportunities were not available, faced with injustices, and otherwise did what they did to inspire others in their various field where they are good. The likes of Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, and many others. Some of them proved to the society that their talents are a profession too and should be respected. So putting their faces on a paper inspires me that I will someday prove to my parents and country that artwork is a profession that should be recognized and respected.’’
Artwork of late Michael Jackson by A.G.K Artwork
- 2 pack shakur, Artwork by A.G.K artwork
S.K
In a society that has not seen so much interest in artworks or skills in general, what are some of the challenges you are faced with?
Alusine Gibril Kamara
‘’My greatest challenges are for my family to accept my talents, some of the materials I need to do my artworks, and the opportunity to pursue my education. I was born and grew up in a society where parents have not seen a successful artist, as in rich or let alone someone that is talked about and praised. So the reality is my parent have not and will not easily accept my talent, so the option I have is to break the chain, I will need support from you reading my story that is inspired by what I do to help me go to university so I can continue my education and graduate in this artwork, you can do so by either helping finance my education, buy my artworks or request for my service. I am optimistic with your support, I will come out triumphant to my parents that they will someday see a man they didn’t believe in me.
Sallu Kamuskay during Interview with Alusine Gibril at his resident
S.K
For some young people that are inspired by your work and those reading, what message do you have to tell them?
Alusine Gibril Kamara
There are many young people talented than me, they are born and living in a society where our parents and government have not created a safe space where we will grow up, nurture, and realize from our potentials, instead, they want us to believe that. I am sending out a message to the government, humanitarians, and organizations to come to my aid support me. If my family does not have confidence in my artwork, you can all help me build that confidence in and help me rewrites the story to the world. I strongly believe that through my artwork, I am able to raise awareness on social issues affecting young people in our country. My recent artwork on mental health problems is a clear manifestation of the challenges young people face in our country. if you want to support me, or are interested in any of my artwork, contact me on the following number direct call or WhatsApp: +23299634235
