Bright lights, dancing and upbeat music contrasted with a past full of violence, death and refugee camps at a concert last Tuesday night.

Songs from a Sierra Leone War Survivor starred Saa Andrew Gbongbor, a student, dance/reggae musician, and refugee of the Sierra Leone Civil War. The concert was put on by SHOUT (Students Helping Others Understand Tolerance), a human rights awareness group. It took place at the Centre Communautaire Sainte‑Anne.

Between songs about God, Africa, and his mother, the audience was given a taste of Gborgbor’s life in videos where he and other SHOUT members were interviewed.

He said life could be horrible in Sierra Leone.

“I had to work with my grandad at the farm … but we were not the only people living on the food. The bad people (Sierra Leonian rebels) were there too.

Gborgbor was harassed by the rebels for years. They attacked his village and he watched them murder members of his extended family. His father and step mother decided they couldn’t live in those conditions, and fled the country.

Gborgbor’s mother, Isata, could not leave with his family. She was a nurse living in a different village. She was captured by rebels for her medical knowledge.

“I haven’t seen my mom since … it’s almost been nine years now,” he said

“My mom never know I can sing music, my mom never know I came to Canada.”

Gborgbor has recently managed to contact his mother through phone messages. The phone service is too poor in her village for the two to actually talk.

His family walked to neighbouring Guinea. After several days of anxious waiting, a ferry took them to a refugee camp in Gambia.

“It was a rough place. You think of the word refugee camp and you know it’s a place that is not your house. It’s not a place you can’t be comfortable you know? It’s a place where a bunch of people just crowd together,” said Gborgbor.

He said he and his family had to survive on cornmeal and bongo wheat, something used to make oatmeal.

Despite the conditions, Gborgbor started learning music while in the refugee camp.

“the Gambian people are very musical,” he said.

“At the camp, everybody want to do something.”

Gborgbor’s family entered the refugee camp in 1998. After 6 years, in 2004, UN officials told his family that they would be going to Fredericton. They had no idea where this was.

“I had never even heard of a country called Canada, just the United States,” Gborgbor said.

Now that he’s here, Gborgbor holds the country and its people in high regard.

“I was very happy to be here. I got a lot of help and a lot of support which I am very much happy about,” he said.

However, Gborgbor misses Sierra Leone.

“There’s no place like home,” he said.

Gborgbor is now in his third year at St. Thomas University. He is majoring in human rights and world history. He wants to be a human rights worker to make a difference countries like Sierra Leone.

“I want to see unity … because without unity there is nothing. Peace forever,” he said. He tries not to concentrate on his past.

“I never look back to what happened, but look ahead to the future,” he said.

“I just want more members to come and join human rights organizations. If they have the chance, they can devote the time to help promote humanity.”

Promoting humanity was what Songs From a Sierra Leone War Survivor was about. It was put on to spread awareness about people like Gborgbor. It was also a fund-raiser to help his mother build a house in Sierra Leone.

Last year SHOUT raised $700 for Gborgbor’s mother. That allowed her to build the structure of her house. Tuesday’s concert raised $1400 to finish the inside and buy furniture.

A message from Isata Gborgbor was played at the concert.

“My suffering in this village has been reduced because of the participation of this SHOUT,” she said.

“Bravo to you all. May God continue to flourish you all and the organization..”