Sierra Leone Elections: Voters hope unemployment rate, migration issues are solved

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Now regardless of who comes out on top in the election, their major challenge will remain the same - and that's creating jobs. Sierra Leone's unemployment rate sits at a staggering 70 percent, leaving thousands of young people with no option but to leave the country. And some of those leaving are paying a heavy price. CGTN's Susan Mwongeli explains.

Posses Conteh left her home in 2016, lured to Kuwait by the promise of hairdressing work. When she arrived, it was all very different. An agency farmed her out as housekeeper - low pay, long hours - and she was passed around families like she was property.

POSSES CONTEH FORMER MIGRANT "It was bad, I was mistreated, one day a madam told me she had paid for me, and that I was a slave and my work was to do house chores. When I refused she got brutal. I had had enough and we had a confrontation, she attempted to grab me. I started acting as if I'm crazy and threatened them with a knife."

The 22-year-old took refuge at the Sierra Leone embassy, who got her home. Her brother's story is even worse. 31-year-old Kamara was aiming for Europe when he left in March 2017. It was a journey that took him almost 4000 kilometres across the badlands of the Sahel - and ended in a jail cell in Libya, drinking strangers' urine.

KAMARA CONTEH FORMER MIGRANT "The first village I arrived in Libya was called Gharyan, the people there arrested us and sold us for 500 dollars, those with money were taken to Sabha while the rest of us remained in small cells. It was hard there, we had nothing to eat. The cells were unsanitary we had to share urine among ourselves just to survive."

He was found unconscious in the desert and locals took him to hospital. The International Organisation of Migration organized his repatriation. Many hundreds more from Sierra Leone are stuck in Libya. But their plight does little to deter others from trying to get away from Sierra Leone. Thousands every year try to escape to Europe or the Middle East.

SUSAN MWONGELI FREETOWN "Youth unemployment has been cited as one of the root causes of the civil war. Now it's the reason many are risking everything in search of opportunities abroad. And as the country looks to rebuild, creating employment opportunities has become a priority."

According to the UNDP, more than 800 thousand youth are hunting decent work. The government says it has plans.

Possess and her brother hope the next leader has the answers. Because despite what they went through, they're prepared to risk the journey again. Most people here would. A recent Gallup poll shows 62% of people in Sierra Leone want to leave – that's the highest rate in the world. SM, CGTN, FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE.