The Legal Aid Board Paralegal for Pujehun, Kakpama Kakpatima Lansana is no stranger to challenges in providing access to justice to his Wanjama people of Pujehun District, even if it means embarking on difficult and risky river travels to serve his people.
Passion and energy are his most valuable assets. This is notwithstanding his age. He is a ‘can do’ person who will go at length to get things done irrespective of obstacles thrown at him. These could be political, cultural, rough terrain, communication or logistics.
Kakpama is seen here in a canoe preparing to cross the Wanjea river to Batti Nguhama to mediate a marital dispute between Bockarie and his wife. The dispute has the potential to wreck the education of their children. He rode 15 km from Pujehun to Mandu to board the canoe to Batti Nguhama which is a fishing settlement.
Bockarie and his wife had had bitter disagreements regarding relocating the family to Mandu village so that the children do not have to walk a long distance to school every day. There is also a cultural dimension to the dispute which Kakpama was able to navigate. This is because there is hardly anybody who knows Pujehun better than him. More importantly, he understands the Krim culture well. They like their Batti fishing settlements which they leave only at the height of the rains in July and August when the entire land is flooded.
Kakpama was able to settle the matter amicably. The husband agreed to relocate the family in Mandu, but they will spend weekends in Batti Nguhama and return to Mandu on Sunday evening.