[News] The disappointment of the two teenagers who discovered one of the largest diamonds in the world

[Blexfraptor]

It was the good news of 2017. Headlines around the world announced the discovery of Sierra Leone's "peace diamond."

In an African nation where diamonds have been synonymous with bloodshed and misery, the wealth of this stone would be used to enrich the lives of the local po[CENSORED]tion.

But behind the media frenzy were the excavators, the men whose exhausting work had made the discovery of the precious stone possible.

Komba Johnbull and Andrew Saffea were the youngest of the group of five, barely in their teens.

When they saw that big, shiny stone on the ground, they believed that all their dreams had come true.
But six years later, his miraculous discovery is marred by disappointment.

survival plan
Saffea had been a star student, but he was forced to drop out of school due to poverty.

And Johnbull's family had been devastated by the civil war of 1991-2002.
Together they joined a group of five diggers sponsored by a local pastor.

They would not be paid, but they would get basic equipment and food for themselves and their families.

If a diamond were ever discovered, the sponsor would get most of it.

The couple agreed to a grueling work schedule: getting up at dawn to work on a palm nut farm before breakfast, then going to the mine to dig for the rest of the day.

The hope was to save enough money to go back to school but the reality of the job was devastating.

"I told Johnbull that my dream had been shattered," says Saffea.

Johnbull remembers how they braved the heavy downpours and harsh summer heat.

"We gave each other encouraging words, we made jokes and we had a Bluetooth device and we even played music."

Furthermore, they dreamed of what they would do if they suddenly became rich.

Johnbull wanted a two-story house and a Toyota FJ Cruiser, while Saffea wanted to finish his education.

massive diamond
The day they finally got lucky started like any other, with a breakfast of boiled bananas and a prayer, before heading to the mine.
Diggers only spend a small amount of time actively searching for diamonds.

That Friday, March 13, 2017, their plan was to work on mining preparations: begin removing earth, extracting gravel, and dealing with flooding from the start of the rainy season.

It was then that Johnbull's eyes caught a gleam.

"I saw a stone under the running water that was being dragged. It was pure instinct because I had never seen a diamond before.

"I stared at the rock for over a minute. Then I said to my uncle, 'Man, that rock glows, what kind of rock is it?'"

Johnbull reached down and pulled her out of the water.

"It was very cold. As soon as I took it out, they took it away from me and said, 'This is a diamond!'"

It was 709 carats, making it the fourteenth largest recorded in the world.

The diggers alerted its sponsor, Pastor Emmanuel Momoh, who made history by taking it to the government, instead of selling it on the black market.

It was sold at auction for US6.5 million.
Hundreds of thousands of Sierra Leoneans work as diggers in informal mines such as Johnbull and Saffea.

If they are lucky, they may find a small diamond fragment, but it is the dream of finding a whole diamond like this that keeps so many people in the difficult task.

It was agreed that each of the diggers would receive a share and that part of the profits would go to the government for local development.

The diggers received an initial payment of only US$80,000 each.

It was more money than Saffea and Johnbull had ever expected when they first partnered, but they were disappointed to receive such a small share.

"When I received my share of the money, I kept it for a whole week without touching it. Finally I traveled to Freetown to buy a house," says Johnbull.

Saffea wanted to go to Canada to continue his education and Johnbull wanted to go with him.

They paid an agent US$15,000 for travel, accommodation and university fees.

They were taken to Ghana, where they spent six months and spent much of their money.

The plan failed as his visa application was rejected.

Johnbull returned to Sierra Leone, having lost much of his money, while Saffea undertook another journey.

He went to a third country, whose name we do not mention for his safety, where he was told that he could work as a driver during the day and study at night.

But when Saffea arrived at his destination, the reality was very different.

"I take care of horses in a stable, where I also sleep and eat. Other workers were given accommodation, while I was left sleeping in the stable."

It is not the life of someone who becomes rich with diamonds and, without a residence, finds himself in a vulnerable situation.

Aside from the property he bought in Sierra Leone, he ran out of diamond money.

He now he says that he just wants to come home.

No recognition
What hurts Saffea and Johnbull the most is the feeling that they never got proper recognition for their discovery.

Media reports about the diamond focused on the pastor who sponsored them.

The real diggers were barely mentioned.

Saffea felt marginalized and excluded.
Johnbull, for his part, wishes he had used his money differently.

"When he had money he was too young.

"At that time he was just showing off and buying clothes and all that. You know how it is with young people.

"Looking back, I don't feel good about it.

"If I hadn't had the ambition to travel abroad in the hope of making more money there, I would have done a lot here with the wasted money."

Reality may not be as they dreamed, but Johnbull now makes a living making aluminum window frames in Freetown, and Saffea plans to join him if his overseas ambitions don't work out.

"My parents were homeless when I was born," says Johnbull.

"My children are growing up in their father's house in Freetown. That is very important. My children will not suffer like I do."

La desilusión de los dos adolescentes que descubrieron uno de los diamantes más grandes del mundo - BBC News Mundo