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War survivor works to give back to Sierra Leone and other African countries Green Mountain College student Francis Demby remembers how important books were to him as a child growing up in Freetown, Sierra Leone. "Whenever I went to a library filled with books from other countries, I felt so lucky, so comforted. They were my window to the rest of the world and how I learned about the U.S. and other countries." Now attending Green Mountain College on a full 4-year Make A-Difference scholarship, Francis is on a personal mission to make sure other African children have the same access to books that can broaden their world-views. Through a national nonprofit called Books for Africa, Francis and fellow student Irene Holak are collecting, sorting, packing, and shipping books of all kinds. His dorm room has become a warehouse and his back gets a workout from lugging books all over campus. From his easy smile and quick laugh, it would be easy to forget that Francis has survived unthinkable horrors to get where he is today. Raised in a politically connected family in Freetown, Francis and his relatives were attacked, tortured, and driven from their homes by rebels during the brutal 1999 Christmas Eve coup d'etat. The family hid in the basement of their home for several days until they ran out of bribes for the rebel attackers. As they fled the city, their van was stopped at a rebel checkpoint and his father was taken prisoner. Later the same evening, the van was attacked by rebels and in the ensuing chaos and darkness, the family members each ran in different directions, to be separated for nearly a year. Miraculously, Francis, his brother, sister, and mother all survived, were reunited, and were granted political asylum in the United States. The house he grew up in was burned to the ground, as were houses throughout the city. If it seems an unlikely odyssey from war-ravaged Sierra Leone to bucolic Poultney, Francis agrees, but he has embraced his experience at Green Mountain College. He came to the College's attention when he was nominated for the Make-A-Difference scholarship by a refugee organization that recognized his heroics during the war. At one of the many refugee camps he found himself in, he had befriended some young boys whose parents had been murdered in front of them by attacking rebels. Not even knowing the fate of his own family, Francis became, for a while, the only parent figure the young children had. When rebels attacked the camp again, Francis shepherded the children on a harrowing four-day trek to neighboring Gambia where they finally found safe-haven in another refugee camp. Francis still has occasional contact with the boys whose lives he saved and sends them gifts, candy, and clothing from the U.S. whenever possible. A psychology major, Francis can envision a career in conflict resolution, though he is open to opportunities his education and experience may present. He takes seriously his charge to "make a difference," whether on campus, in town, or anywhere else he finds an opportunity. He has been a mentor to a Poultney elementary school child, has spoken in local schools about life in Africa, and has served as an Admissions tour guide. His life continues to take unexpected twists and turns, but he knows these are good times, and he's loving every minute of it. By Nicole Ainsworth '09
