We Are Waiting

Mama

Oh sweet mother

We call our country Mama Salone

And those who govern us Papa Government

It is sad, Mama

That your husband doesn’t treat you the way you deserve to be treated

It is even sadder, Mama

That your children are not in the position to defend you

We are broken, Mama

We are voiceless, Mama

We are waiting, Mama

Papa has killed in your name for “development”

Papa has stolen in your name for “progress”

And Papa has violated you in the name of “tradition”

We are waiting for a signal, Mama

We are waiting

We are waiting for the day that we can live up to “Sweet Salone 2020”

We are waiting for college graduates to be employed upon graduation

We are waiting for nepotism to retire and merit to be reinstated

We the youths are waiting

But we are tired, Mama

We have waited for 11 painful years

We have cried for 3000 bodies in 2015

We buried 1000 bodies in 2017

We have no parliament in 2018

We the youths have been waiting

And for what?

They say we are the future leaders of tomorrow

But when tomorrow is uncertain

And today is a gift

We have to act

We are only expected to live for 51 years

So there is no tomorrow

We are the leaders of today

We are

We are

Mama

Today as you turn 57

The time has come to see another day

To tell another story

To dance to a different tune

In 2018

We are no longer waiting

Mama

We are ready

🇸🇱

1961 - 2018