AKA Mash P

A series of photographs by Nathaniel Sesay

Nathaniel Sesay, aka Mash P, was born in Taiama, Southern Sierra Leone. When he was nine years old he was captured by rebels and forced to fight in Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war.  After the war, rejected by family, he lived on the streets of Freetown for 12 years

Mash took up photography in 2018 and began taking photographs on Bume Dirty Box, the biggest rubbish dump in Freetown where many families scrape an existence. He followed a young boy called Mamadu who was the same age as Mash was when he was captured. The images give an honest and authentic portrayal of life on the dump, not just the misery but also the joy.

He has had exhibitions in London, Manchester and Portland, USA.

Eight years ago Mash found the charity WAYout and recorded an album ‘Mr President’, playing a mixture of Afrobeat and dance hall. ‘Music brings me peace’, he says, and his music has become increasingly upbeat with dance music alongside the more serious tracks like ‘After the Jungle’ which features Frank Turner.

He now has a Global Talent Visa and 3-year Resident’s Permit to study and work in the UK. He wants to be accepted for his talent not rejected for his past.

You can support Mash P through his Patreon link here.

WAYout

WAYout is a UK registered charity that has been working in Sierra Leone since 2008. WAYout works with street and disadvantaged youth offering free facilities for creating music, digital media and other art forms as well as training.