In Boma, Sierra Leone – a village you possibly can go to with Intrepid on a brand new journey for 2026 – a imaginative and prescient of a legendary river spirit impressed a century of feminine chiefs. At present, Chief Kadie Bao is popping prophecy into progress.
In West African folklore, Mami Wata is an attractive but formidable water deity. Half girl, half fish, she is claimed to have the facility to bestow each nice riches and nice misfortune on her human neighbours.
In Boma, a small, rural group in southeastern Sierra Leone, native legend has it that a few years in the past, she emerged from the close by Moa River to go to the village chief in a dream, warning that if he wished Boma to prosper, then the following chief must be a lady.
It’s a powerful story – particularly whenever you study that not solely did the person in energy pay attention (!) and willingly disrupt the patriarchy, however that Boma’s chiefs have been ladies ever since. Mami Wata, it seems, is to not be messed with. Present chief, Chief Kadie Bao, has an extra clarification for the change, arguably extra rooted in actuality – however maybe merely reflecting what sparked Mami Wata’s issues: ‘With male chiefs, there have been numerous points and unrest.’
Generations of management
Chief Kadie comes from a protracted line of matriarchs. ‘It began with my great-grandmother, who was the primary feminine chief right here. Then my grandmother, my mom after her and now me,’ she says.
Regardless of being born into such a strong matrilineal line, one with the divine approval of Mami Wata herself, Chief Kadie didn’t all the time essentially dream of being a frontrunner. As a baby, watching her mom take duty for the welfare of a complete village, she questioned if she was up for the duty. However in the end, she couldn’t deny her calling. ‘I knew I wished to make a change within the lives of our individuals,’ she says.
Management could also be in her blood, however the chief’s seat isn’t handed down by birthright; Kadie needed to run for the place like every other political candidate. Boma’s chiefs are elected by the group of 375 residents, who depend on their chosen chief to mediate interdistrict conflicts and work to convey peace and prosperity to all. Elected in 2009, Chief Kadie obtained off to a flying begin, overseeing the development of a guesthouse and set up of six public bogs and photo voltaic lighting, in addition to introducing new well being and social care initiatives – all inside the first six months of her management.
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Bossing it in Boma
If Chief Kadie is ever overwhelmed by her obligations, she doesn’t present it. She leads with a quiet, fixed dedication and barely will get a break day. When she does get a uncommon probability to relaxation, she likes to spend it on her farm, tending to her crops. Rural Boma’s economic system is reliant on agriculture, with locals rising rice, cacao, palm and cassava to feed themselves and earn a residing.
Group-based tourism is on the rise, too. And from 2026, Intrepid travellers will obtain a heat welcome from Chief Kadie and different Boma residents on the brand new Sierra Leone Journey. After a tour of the village, which sits on the jungled banks of the Moa River, guests will help plant or harvest rice, find out about mysterious native customs (pounding yams or cassava at night time, for instance, or strolling by means of the village with an uncovered fanner, or rice basket, are strictly forbidden) and, if courageous sufficient, try to hitch in with the normal ‘satan dance’, carried out to frenetic drum beats and accompanied by shimmying costumed characters.
However for Chief Kadie, welcoming travellers to the village is about greater than cultural change; it’s a possibility to enhance the lives of these in her group. ‘Assembly individuals from all around the world is a blessing,’ she says. ‘Their assist has been felt broadly and deeply. Travellers profit from studying about our lifestyle right here and witnessing our cultural actions. [The financial benefit we get in return enables us to provide] instructional scholarships, abilities coaching and correct healthcare for [our people].
‘I wish to be remembered because the chief that introduced [positive] adjustments to Boma village. Infrastructural growth like colleges, clinics and good roads,’ she says.
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The longer term is feminine
In the future, when the time comes for Boma to discover a new chief, there’s probability that Chief Kadie’s daughter, Hawa, can be within the operating to take the mantle – however it’s not a given. ‘It’s as much as [her] to resolve whether or not she contests or not. Our individuals will resolve who my successor can be by means of their votes,’ she says.
For Chief Kadie, management isn’t about ego. Or preserving energy within the household. It’s about doing proper by her individuals. Whoever succeeds her, their path has been paved by generations of highly effective, strong-minded ladies – with somewhat assist from a fierce water goddess – and so they must be up for the problem.
Her recommendation for future leaders in Boma and past? ‘You should be compassionate and have love on your individuals. [Prioritise] their pursuits. Hearken to their wants and supply options to their issues with out asking for something in return’.
Sage recommendation for not solely the following technology, however maybe present international leaders too.
Meet Chief Kadie Bao with Intrepid on the brand new Sierra Leone Journey: Historical past, Tradition & Nature journey and discover out what else is new for 2026 with The Items – a group of recent journeys and experiences to encourage a yr of journey.
