Mariatu Kamara

Mariatu Kamara (born 25 May 1986 in Yonkro, Sierra Leone) is an author, public speaker, and UNICEF Canada's Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict. She is chiefly known for her book, The Bite of the Mango, which details her experience surviving the civil war in Sierra Leone.

Early life

Mariautu Kamara was born in Yonkro, Sierra Leone. Her mother, Aminatu, was the second wife of her father, the first being Sampa; she was thus raised in a polygamous household. At a very young age, Kamara was sent to live with her father's sister, Marie, and her husband, Alie. Her Aunt Marie raised her in Magborou, Sierra Leone, a small village of eight clay houses. She spent her days harvesting rice, vegetables, and fruit on the family farm during the day and seeing her friends at night.

Experiences during the war As a 12-year-old child during the civil war in Sierra Leone, Kamara was raped by a male family-friend named Salieu. Salieu, whom she was under pressure to marry when she reached the age of 16, was a trusted friend of her Aunt Marie. Shortly after this, the village was invaded by Revolutionary United Front rebels, who cut off both of her hands. She also joined a theater troupe at the camp that performed dances, songs, and plays about surviving and healing after the war, as well as about other current events like HIV/AIDS.

The Bite of the Mango In 2008, Kamara wrote a memoir in collaboration with Canadian journalist, Susan McClelland entitled The Bite of the Mango. The book details Kamara's experience during the RUF attacks, her escape to the hospital, her time in the amputee camp, and her first few years living in Canada. It was published by Annick Press in Canada and is Kamara's only book. In 2009, the book won the 2009 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction.

Cited works