Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, a washing machine is a rock. This was evident everywhere. Women would wash clothes in basins or big pans or stand in pools along a roadside or in the river and soak clothes. Then they would beat them on a rock. We took a tour of an orphanage in Makeni, the Children's Rescue Operation Project. We walked through the house, out the back, and around the side. As we passed it, Abu, our driver, ... Read More

One of the more interesting and fun experiences during our time in Sierra Leone was our interaction with the children. As soon as we got out of the truck, the children surrounded us. They would take our hands and tell us their names. And after about a half dozen kids told you their names, they would start to ask you to repeat their names. So, the deal was, we memorize a whole bunch of names, but all they need to do is ... Read More

So, ok. Sensory overload in the third-world of Sierra Leone, at least for this neophyte, first-world interloper, is akin to lighting a cigar by sticking your head in a blast furnace. Pretty overwhelming. What follows are some off-the-top-of-the-land-rover impressions. I'll be posting more, so come back. In the meantime, in no particular order, here they are: You sleep with earplugs because the dogs bark all ... Read More

My December trip to Sierra Leone was no ordinary travel escapade. It was more of a working trip—something I think of as voluntourism. We were there 10 days and we spent a lot of time getting closely involved with the villagers of one community. I traveled there as part of a seven-member group under the auspices of The Lance and Julie Burma Foundation (http://lanceandjulieburma.org). The foundation’s stated mission is to ... Read More

Well--I've been informed that I will be on the team going to Sierra Leone in December. Barring any major problems, it looks like I will be making the trip. I can now begin planning in ernest. Much to think about. I'll need to discover more details of day-to-day activities. What will I take along? What can I expect to be doing? How will I record the trip (for my purposes). I've thought that this would make a good ... Read More

So I wrote a note to the list coordinator for the Sierra Leone trip and told her that I was interested in accompanying the group in December. Now I'm waiting to see if I can get on the list. It's sort of a first step and by no means guarantees that I have a spot in the group. Got my fingers crossed. But I have mentally committed to making the trip. I got pushed over the edge during a coffee chat with a friend at ... Read More