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Reception for Mariatu Kamara, a UNICEF Special Representative
On Friday, February 20th Her Honour, The Honourable Mayann E. Francis, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia hosted a reception at Province House in honour of Mariatu Kamara, a UNICEF Special Representative. Mariatu was 12 in 1999, when civil war broke out in her home country of Sierra Leone. Her village was attacked, most everyone killed and Mariatu was beaten and left without her hands. Miraculously she survived the trauma and today, is a college student in Toronto. She was named a UNICEF Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflicts, which involves speaking to groups across North America about her experiences as a child vicitim of war.
Mariatu was visiting Nova Scotia for African Heritage Month and speaking to students around the province about her experiences. On Friday night community members came out to recognize her courage and triumph. It was a heartwarming evening for a truly remarkable young woman, whose story can inspire us all.
