Every Picture Tells a Story

A happy reunion for Alberta and Ami

Lee Karen Stow returned to her Hull home in February having spent three weeks in the west African state of Sierra Leone. This reason for this second visit was different to that of her first in 2007. During her first visit, she led media workshops involving the impoverished women of the country. On that first stay, Lee stayed in hotels and was chauffeured around.

This time, as a result of what she'd witnessed, Lee opted for a different experience. She was invited into a private home to use as a base for a photography project on the women of Sierra Leone.

Her photographs are on public display at an exhibition to commemorate International Women's Day. The exhibition takes place between 8th-15th March at the EICH Gallery, George Street, Hull. It's very much a 'hands-on' experience for the artist who's mounted the pictures for the exhibition herself.

In her interview, Lee describes in graphic detail the day-to-day lives of people who work there. Food is in short supply, sanitation is virtually non-existent. She describes a visit to a hospital where patients don't have enough to eat and where animals bed down for the night and patients are 'paroled' during the day.

She visited a mental institution where patients are given long acting tranquillizers to keep them sedated. Many are traumatised by their existence and with memories of the civil war fresh in the minds, Lee was saddened by what she saw.

In addition to hearing Lee's interview on BBC Radio Humberside's Late Show, Lee has written her story of her trip. You can view this story by using the link at the top right hand side of this page. There are also some of Lee's other photographs she took in Sierra Leone.

The picture on this page is of Alberta Massaquio who pays a surprise visit to her mother Ami Sesay in Makeni. The town is three hours’ drive away from Freetown where Alberta lives, so she is able to see her mother only once a month if she is lucky enough to find a ride.

 Ami farms a plot of land behind her house, rows of potatoes, corn, greens and crain crain, dotted with the odd palm. She’s been here 20 years. During the civil war she and her family fled to Guinea on foot, taking two months to reach the border.