Behind the facade : Wealth, poverty and the loss of empathy in Sierra Leone

“Behind the Facade: Wealth, Poverty, and the Loss of Empathy in Sierra Leone” (Part 19 of the Radical Inclusion Series)

By: Dr. Columba Michael Joe Blango (21/08/2025)

I have spent the past five weeks in Sierra Leone, mostly in Freetown, with short journeys to other parts of the country. The picture I carry with me is layered, contradictory, and deeply troubling. On the surface, there is an image of progress: towering new buildings, gleaming SUVs, high-end restaurants and entertainment spaces that seem to belong in the world’s most prosperous cities. Yet, beneath this glitter lies a sobering reality—harsh poverty, yawning inequality, mistrust, insecurity, environmental degradation, and a society that appears to have lost much of its empathy.

It is a paradox that in a country where faith is everywhere—churches and mosques full, prayers ringing round the clock—the lived reality often falls short of the teachings of those very faiths. Sierra Leoneans are a religious people, but not always a spiritual people.

How We Came to This Point

1. Historical Trauma and Survival Instincts: Decades of war, corruption, and poor governance have left deep scars. When a society is repeatedly betrayed by its leaders, people learn to survive by any means necessary. Trust erodes, and transactional relationships replace genuine community bonds. The war years taught many to look after “self” first, because tomorrow is not guaranteed.

2. Corruption and the Culture of “Taking”: When public resources are routinely looted, and leaders enrich themselves without accountability, ordinary citizens mirror the same behavior at their level. It becomes a trickle-down culture of grabbing what you can while you can. As one proverb says: “The fish rots from the head.”

3. Erosion of Traditional Communal Values: African societies once thrived on communal living—shared labor, shared meals, collective child-rearing. But urbanization, globalization, and the monetization of everything have gradually eroded those values. In Freetown today, many relationships—even family ties—are filtered through the question: “What can I get out of this?”

4. The Illusion of Wealth: The rise of expensive cars, grand houses, and luxurious dining experiences paints a misleading picture. It suggests prosperity, but in reality it is prosperity for the few, not the many. For the majority, the cost of living is unbearable, opportunities are scarce, and the dream of upward mobility feels out of reach. This deepens resentment, mistrust, and a sense of abandonment.

The Religious Mirror

What makes this paradox more painful is that Sierra Leone is one of the most prayerful nations in the world. Yet, the fruits of that prayer are not seen in daily interactions.

• Christianity warns against transactional love.: 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us: “If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” Agape love—the selfless, unconditional love—seems absent in a society where everything is reduced to gain and return.

• Islam equally emphasizes compassion: The Qur’an (2:177) teaches that righteousness is not only about rituals, but also about giving: “…to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves.” Yet, in practice, many who could give choose not to, fearing loss instead of embracing generosity.

• Both faiths condemn selfishness.
James 2:15–16 says: “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” This is the mirror Sierra Leone must look into: plenty of prayers, little practice.

What Can Be Done to Turn This Around

1. Restoring Empathy and Community Spirit: There must be a deliberate return to communal values. This starts in families, schools, and religious institutions teaching—not just prayer and ritual—but active compassion, giving, forgiveness, and service.

2. Leadership by Example: If leaders demonstrate empathy, integrity, and generosity, society will follow. When governance is about service, not self-enrichment, people regain faith in collective action rather than individual gain.

3. Education with Values: Beyond literacy and numeracy, schools should instill moral and civic education—emphasizing honesty, compassion, and the responsibility to the community.

4. Religious Institutions Must Step Up: Churches and mosques should not only collect tithes and offerings but channel them into social welfare, community development, and helping the most vulnerable. Religion must become less about prosperity preaching and more about lived compassion.

5. Celebrate and Model Giving: Society must begin to celebrate those who give, forgive, and serve—not only those who build mansions or drive luxury cars. We need role models of empathy, not just of wealth.

Sierra Leone today stands at a crossroads. On the one hand, there is wealth, ambition, and the appearance of progress. On the other, there is the reality of poverty, mistrust, and the erosion of compassion. The greatest danger is not just inequality of wealth, but the inequality of empathy—the widening gap between what people profess in prayer and what they practice in daily life.

To heal, Sierra Leone must rediscover the power of agape love, of giving without expecting, of caring without conditions. As Jesus said in Acts 20:35: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Until that spirit takes root again, the glittering cars and buildings will remain little more than a facade covering a broken foundation.