Week 2

Sierra Leone Blog No 1

Hello everyone and welcome to Freetown.

Addy-do? As they say for hello, or how do you do. People are very friendly and keen to talk – but for the first week I have been rushing around trying to do all my VSO stuff and admin, and hardly had time to take breath! We were brought in on Sunday night, after a 6-hour flight and 4-hour slog through airport immigration, baggage, customs and exit via the water taxi,  to finally arrive in Freetown city and be dropped at our accommodation. VSO does provide basic facilities, which I am glad to have, however on the first night there was no electricity or running water and it was a bit difficult to get my bearings! Things are improving slightly on the electricity front but still need to get water from a standpipe in jerrycans (and up the 2 flights of stairs!) I have 2 great flatmates who have been helping me out with food and explaining how to get internet access via a dongle, but am yet to make it to the AirTel office to buy one of those.

Work so far has been in the VSO office sorting out all our papers etc and getting general induction.  There are 10 new volunteers working in different projects around healthcare and secure livelihoods. I’m going to go to one of the small women’s health units to meet some midwives tomorrow, but my base hospital is further across town and I’m not going there til next week. I will try to keep you posted!

PS The above post was written on my first weekend but I couldn’t manage to get it uploaded. Now a few days further down the line and a few more experiences under my belt: met the Salonean Minister of Health (an impressive woman with a history of activist work); found a swimming pool nearby which has good showers(important for my general cleanliness!) and – not so good – had my phone nicked somewhere between the VSO office and home, don’t even know how it happened but here I am Week 2, phone 2…..can’t let this become a trend.

So…..messages and texts from home very important. Anyone who has time, drop me a line. Number is on my Facebook or just PM me.

I’ll see if I can upload this now and be in touch again soon.

Carolyn