tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82633198058201792942024-03-13T20:03:36.655+00:00Carolyn van Gurp's Sierra Leone JournalCarolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-79601530290589816992014-11-14T20:12:00.000+00:002014-11-14T20:12:19.975+00:00Good news from Mapaki. Just off the phone with Chief Kebombor. They
anticipate the last houses in the chiefdom to be off quarantine by
another week; no new cases in the last days...thanks to a massive
locally organized sensitization campaign reaching every household in the
chiefdom...and thanks to the support of many of you. Meanwhile,
Saidu's support of survivors in Makeni is also going well. After months
of worry, I'm going to spend a few days in peace telling myself things
are OK for now. Hands and hearts reaching friends afar. Thank YOU, my
friends!!<br />
<br />
If you are interested in assisting with Ebola vaccine trials happening in Halifax, check <a href="http://www.centerforvaccinology.ca/study/ebola-vaccine-study/" target="_blank">this site</a>. They are seeking forty volunteers for a six month double blind study.Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-46546865668310844932014-11-05T15:27:00.003+00:002014-11-05T15:29:26.726+00:00Ebola Report<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hope and continued concern. Saidu is assisting the Makeni mayor provide support to Ebola survivors in Makeni and we have received photos and report of delivery of rice. Meanwhile, in Paki Masabong, we hear that deaths from Ebola continue but that the chiefdom has a solid plan in place. We thank the many friends and family who have contributed to purchase of rice, safety materials, youth stipend and other forms of support to friends in Sierra Leone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chief Kebombor sends the following message: </span><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->Dear Carolyn, Saidu and Friends,<br />
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Thanks so much for the care and concern shown to us during
this difficult time. The current Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak has
multitude of impacts on the livelihoods of our people of Paki-Masabong
chiefdom, our agricultural production and our food security drive. Our farmers'
income from agriculture has dropped. Due to transport restrictions and the
closure of our weekly markets, they struggle to sell their produce. Similarly,
household incomes from other sources such as petty trading and service delivery
have decreased. This is attributed to the strict regulations imposed by government
in a bid to contain the rapid spread of the EVD in Sierra Leone coupled with
the sudden death of family members, the unavailability of farm inputs as well
as the lack of labor.
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As trends indicate, the situation is likely to worsen in the
course of the next months. We expect serious food shortages to hit the
chiefdom. So many farmers are not able to harvest their products because of
they are on quarantined status. Weekly markets for our rural farmers have shown
to have an enormous socio-economic relevance in our chiefdom. They drive
economic development and supply the needs of our communities who cannot fully
self-sustain themselves. Should the restrictions remain in place food will
become increasingly scarce and expensive. The incomes of our communities will continue
to drop, harvests continue to fall and the people affected by the EVD continue to
suffer from a low availability of and a limited access to food. </div>
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This Ebola outbreak also has a significant impact on the well-being of those affected within our chiefdom, our families, community members
and the health workers treating people with Ebola. Our communities are severely
affected by Ebola disease in many ways. People are now separated from their
loved ones, due to illness or death. Those associated with Ebola are vulnerable to social stigma,
worsening their distress and isolation. Ultimately, whole communities now
experience the fear and suffering the disease outbreak has caused. Although
these events affect everyone in some way, people in the chiefdom now experience
a wide range of reactions. They feel overwhelmed, confused or very uncertain
about what is happening. They feel fearful and anxious, or numb and detached.
Some people have mild reactions, whereas others may have more severe reactions.
It is also important to remember that Ebola has influenced how we normally
provide support to each other (e.g., by not being able to touch people) and how
we cope with the death of our loved ones (e.g., by not being able to engage in
traditional burials). This has severely worsened our people’s distress.
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Denial is prevalent on the fight against Ebola. Denial is
still strong in our communities. Sometimes denial is as a result of the fact
that the disease itself strongly challenges our treasured values of respect for
the dead, solidarity, handshake and hospitality. Most importantly, denial is as
a result of levels of illiteracy. One off sensitization is never enough. Daily
and continues reminders of the disease to illiterate or semi-literate rural
community people is the only way. Also the much public education campaign with
aim to reduce the chain of transmission and levels of denial even amongst
educated folks is equally a huge challenge as the disease has much misconceptions
and cynical theories eve amongst elites.</div>
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Finally, quarantined homes within our chiefdom are facing
direct problems of food shortages and better hygiene. Government and WFP are
doing their bits but never enough. So therefore our quarantined homes need support
in rice, and other cooking ingredients, soap for regular washing of hands,
chlorine and any other assorted items that could help reduce psychosocial
trauma for the affected homes quarantined within the chiefdom. </div>
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Once again, I thank you on behalf of the chiefdom for all
that you have done and continue to do for us. Attached to this is list of some
of the key items needed to support quarantine homes within the chiefdom.</div>
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Sincerely yours,</div>
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Paramount Chief Kebombor ll</div>
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Paki-Masabong Chiefdom </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Items needed to support
quarantined homes in our chiefdom</div>
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1 Gloves </div>
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2 Infrared thermometers</div>
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3 Rice </div>
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4 Cooking oil</div>
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5 Other cooking ingredients (Maggie, onions, salt etc.)</div>
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6 Flashlights and batteries</div>
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8 Cooking charcoal </div>
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9 Sugar</div>
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10 Soap </div>
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11 Chlorine</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please remember, if you receive this message it is because you are subscribed to my Sierra Leone blog. If you prefer not to continue receiving messages, you need to unsubscribe through the blog. Thanks for reading this far!!</span> </div>
Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-45127580769817719132014-09-27T20:43:00.000+00:002014-09-27T20:43:29.189+00:00Ebola in Paki MasabongTerrible news again from Paki Masabong but hopeful in that action is possible. A resident in each of two villages attended a funeral and brought Ebola back to the villages. One village is near Magburaka close to Makump America and the other is near the large communal farm close to what was called the village of One Ose. In both villages many died and the remaining residents are quarantined in their houses. The chiefdom as a whole is now quarantined and no one other than the Paramount Chief and Ebola health teams may enter or exit the chiefdom. This has caused a crisis in food access, which is where we can help. Chief, who has been in the the chiefdom for the past three months, will travel to Freetown to purchase food and other materials (thermometers, etc.) with support we sent today. This will go to those in quarantine. I am hopeful that once the hunger season passes and harvest starts, more food will be accessible from within the chiefdom. For now, though, it is an emergency situation. If you are interested in also helping with a donation, I can send you information on how to transfer funds directly to the chiefdom. Please note that tax receipts are not possible for donations made this way, but 100% of your contribution will be used for this emergency. Thanks!!Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-8141762376098751542012-02-10T20:13:00.006+00:002012-02-11T00:56:34.254+00:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QFUTCP3ldWU/TzV7znLY2II/AAAAAAAAOsg/1FrGGp0zLIU/s1600/Wednesday%2B015.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QFUTCP3ldWU/TzV7znLY2II/AAAAAAAAOsg/1FrGGp0zLIU/s200/Wednesday%2B015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707604229382264962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >A deafening explosion, blood, damaged houses, and confusion all round. Young Sarrah found the bomb in the kitchen area of our household yesterday. The people of Mapaki are in a state of shock after a cluster bomb, left behind ten years ago by retreating rebel forces, exploded, sending six women and children to hospital. The bomb had been left in the ceiling of the house where our household cooks, a place predominantly populated by women and children. The bomb was uncovered during repair work and Sarrah, who found it, had no idea of what it was. By the time Mommy noticed the strange object in his hands, it was too late. Bleeding and in a state of confusion, Sarrah ran to the bush, where he collapsed under a tree in shock. Toddler Adama, young mother Ya Beka, nursery teacher Mommy, students Augustine and Adamsay, along with Sarrah are lying in the hospital today waiting for treatment. We wait for news and and worry too.<br /><br />The world over, children are disproportionately represented among victims of cluster bombs. While many countries ban their production as they mostly kill civilians and do so for decades after their deployment, three Canadian financial institutions (RBC, Sunlife and Manual Life) still profiteer from U. S.company-based cluster bomb production, according to the <a href="http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/">Cluster Munition Coalition</a>. After we heard the news from Mapaki last night, one of our children asked, “But why do people make these bombs?” Why indeed. Not an easy question to answer without thinking of concepts like evil and greed. Check The Cluster Munition Coalition for <a href="http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/take-action/">action suggestions</a> and resources to end this travesty.<br /><br />We are so grateful for the friends of Mapaki who have quickly stepped up the plate to offer moral and financial support. We’ve heard that, in the village today, headman Brima called an emergency meeting to implore all in the village to rally around and support the victims and family. Messages and offers of support have come in from friends in Canada also. This morning we were able to send some funds to help with the initial treatment and medicines (each shrapnel shard costs about $25 to remove). More will be sent next week to help with continued medical costs. Most importantly though, we send our thoughts and condolences to Mapaki on behalf of all of you and thank you all for your care and compassion. May we all live in a world (and country and province…that’s another story!) that values peace and harmony over war and weapons profiteering. Peace and best wishes to all.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >(Photo - children in the kitchen area of our household)</span>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-26507834252746293502011-11-02T14:23:00.003+00:002011-11-03T07:30:07.837+00:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sWYoWo_8sOs/TrFUA2RTr3I/AAAAAAAAOrY/RaPbb3YtM7c/s1600/Nursery%2B4%2B002.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sWYoWo_8sOs/TrFUA2RTr3I/AAAAAAAAOrY/RaPbb3YtM7c/s200/Nursery%2B4%2B002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670405779381006194" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size:85%;">Moments of incredible beauty take my breath away. Like last night’s light show. As the sun went down, the completely silent dry sky lightning flashed in and through and behind the one billowing cloud that hung at the outskirts of the village, fireflies marking the rhythm. Or the deep purple of the river blossoms undulating with dancing streams of river weed we passed over rickety bridges on back roads leading to boli lands. When I wonder if I’m the only one whose jaw drops at these sights, I think of my mom’s solitary response to the beauty of her adopted home. Maybe we can only see beauty in new lands. Maybe that’s why I love this land so much. On the other hand, as I type this, I hear my small nursery school friends calling me to the door, still singing our parting song, “Aunty, I’m tired, I want to see my mother, Aunty please lef we go home.” I think of the friends I’ve made over the years that keep me coming back and am making plans for return visits to those I haven’t seen on this trip. This trip marks a turning point in many ways. It’s my first visit without deep heart-ache or funerals to attend. No personal illness, tragedy, or deaths of friends. Many new developments in the community and the security of knowing that our own family is finally whole and together. Transitions on many levels. The needs and issues are as deep and strong as ever, but here, the community visitors and big white jeeps on the road are no longer addressing social concerns such as education of the girl-child or reproductive health but rather monitoring, evaluating, accounting, and dealing with the business of agriculture. Lots of talk of next year’s election and Ministry of Finance needs. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Perhaps a greater focus on the future than the past. Over the coming year the world will continue to roll towards the uncertainty of impending resource, climate and financial crises and I expect that this particular euphoria might be fleeting but I intend to grasp hold of it for as long as I’m able. Until I return I hope to be involved with a number of developments started or conceived of here (nursery school, work of the youth group, scholarships, “birthing boarding house”, etc.) and will post again on my return. Till then, I hope that you also enjoy the moments of fleeting beauty that pass your path while we wait to “occupy the future”. Final photos of the year are posted <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/cvangurp/October2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCO6g8suimuKWGg">here</a>.<br /></span>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-43398084558962120512011-10-29T15:59:00.003+00:002011-10-29T19:04:10.502+00:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4_THP6_3uFM/TqwkMHqtNlI/AAAAAAAAOow/Uqi0NH0QfFA/s1600/Nursery%2B4%2B008.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4_THP6_3uFM/TqwkMHqtNlI/AAAAAAAAOow/Uqi0NH0QfFA/s200/Nursery%2B4%2B008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668945821587813970" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Saturday. The uplands were ringing with the sounds of women calling “Momo!” (thanks!) to each other and teasing laughter from hill to dale as we headed off to the garden to weed and deliver rice and poyo to the friends working there. I hear from Canada they expected snow today. Here we sweltered, drifted past sorghum, millet, sesame, and rice stands and after our labour, rested in the shade of a palm while the sweet smell of rich loam wafted our way from the withering weeds and newly planted mango seedling (I’ll be harvesting the mangoes in ten years, I’m told). Digging hands into the rich warm soil, flicking ants from sticky legs, picking at the massive quartz boulders dotting the hillsides while keeping a wary eye out for snakes, we mused over the ownership of any gold we might find at the riverside before we sauntered home after just a tiny bit of poyo. Everyone working in the garden today was a volunteer teacher. All are waiting for word (still!) about the possible granting of teacher vouchers to those volunteer teachers who have replaced missing teachers at schools. IMF conditionalities mean no new teaching positions may be created but, with so many leaving for the mines, it good to know that at least some can be replaced. In the health field, meanwhile, there are also a number of interesting developments. Young children, pregnant and lactating mothers now have the right to free health care and medicines, which has apparently reduced deaths in these target groups (perhaps explaining why this is my first visit without witnessing tragedy in the community). Unfortunately, it seems to come with a corresponding lack of available medicines for those not in the target groups, an issue yet to be resolved. I’ll be making my way back to the cold north soon (I’m told Canada’s cold is nothing compared to the bone-chilling wind of the Harmattan!) and hope that the good news encountered on this trip will hold through challenging times on the horizon. Time for a wee poyo nap, now! Oh, I am posting new photos each day in </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="https://picasaweb.google.com/cvangurp/October2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCO6g8suimuKWGg">October 2011 Photos</a><span style="font-family:arial;">. </span></span>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-4139680752298617912011-10-28T18:26:00.002+00:002011-10-28T18:33:20.355+00:00Never Lose Hope!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gsgt0EsLN5Y/Tqr07ZmfRVI/AAAAAAAAOmU/BW-g-vu31CI/s1600/Nursery%2B2%2B005.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gsgt0EsLN5Y/Tqr07ZmfRVI/AAAAAAAAOmU/BW-g-vu31CI/s200/Nursery%2B2%2B005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668612382320969042" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Move over, Nollywood, Mollywood has come to town! Featuring all my favourite locations (including my room) and actors (including the Paramount Chief), “Young Men Never Lose Hope” is a full-length feature conceived and filmed on location by the Mapaki Youth in Action Group. Produced sans budget with a Mac, video camera, and solar power, this action-packed cautionary tale about the wisdom of listening to your wife and parents and staying home in school rather than chasing the illusionary paying job is especially relevant to young people in today’s Sierra Leone. Word on the street is that youth are now flocking to the new mining areas seeking that elusive paying job. Unfortunately, most get nothing and those that do get short-term positions with a fast turn-around (so the mining companies can avoid paying benefits). And, unfortunately, it has also meant that most schools have lost their best teachers who are first in line for a higher-paying, if short-term, mining job. Problems all round. What an impact, though, working on this feature must have had on the young people here who are lured by the lights of Makeni and Freetown. Who says village life is dull? Congratulations, Mapaki youth!! At the same time, I’m delighted to hear that this will be a bumper rice harvest year due to an abundance of rain. It was especially gratifying to go to the new rice gardens today, bursting with rice that’s about to be harvested and stored in the large just-finished grain store, supplied by the Ministry of Agriculture. Last year the rice harvest fed the farmers and the surplus was sold to generate income. Nice feeling to know that many working together have had a tremendous positive impact (no talk of the hunger season this year so far). Thanks to all who helped provide the tractor which enabled the expansion of the rice gardens and gainful employment for the young people who have not headed for the mines. I spent last evening with some of those young people. Thanks in part to the scholarships and teacher support, there is also a bumper class of junior high graduates this year, all heading out for school interviews and beginning of term. Last night I listened to the advice of one seasoned student giving tips to his younger peer. Yes, you’ll need to take soap to launder your clothes, don’t buy six pens all at once or you’ll end up giving them away, make sure to bring rice, salt, maggi for the cook. There is some disappointment that we have no funds for new scholarships this year and I’m hoping to remedy this when I return. Soon. I can’t believe I’m already at the half way mark of this visit. Riding on the motorbike down the back road to the gardens; startling small darts of fish while splashing through streams; passing stands of sorghum, sticks and mile-high cassava; watching the road weave between washed-out bridges and new pitch; waving back to the small children who call out “Father!”, “Sister!”, “Carol!”, “Oporto!” depending on our location; satisfied in the knowledge that my pack is full of pumpkin, okra, rice, two eggs, and plantain freshly picked and destined for my mother-in-law’s kitchen; I’m already worrying about my impending departure and planning my return. Two homes and families and an ocean between. So much to traverse and treasure. </span></span>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-71477781301777936772011-10-25T14:21:00.001+00:002011-10-25T14:23:05.510+00:00Arrival Part Two<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Last night the drums dueled and the small children shimmied and the women sang long into the night. We arrived in Mapaki late, delayed by a missed ferry and breakdowns along the road. Smell of dust and diesel, hot, tired and thirsty (I’d left my stash of good water in Lungi), all was forgotten as soon as we stepped out into the evening’s dancing darkness. I’m still shaking off the dust and echoing the rhythms (sure there’s a samba call and response in there) as I continue to reflect on the changes I’m seeing. Freetown. Billboards promoting new internet capability along others warning of climate change. Power lines crisscross the city, connecting from a chain of towers from the distant Bumbuna hydro dam. While passing the poles that slowly snake their way to our chiefdom, I can’t help but remember Daniel’s dream that had been so carefully interpreted by the elders two years ago and expect that the advice of the elders is still relevant to all of us (welcome change but honour your past). The signboard for the “barefoot women solar power technicians” contrasting the expanding mining and biofuel projects was a welcome sight. As always, though, all is forgotten when in the presence of friends, big and small, here. Tonight we are celebrating Mabinty’s birthday with a taste of palm wine. I’m looking forward to spending the afternoon with Momi, recently returned from Freetown to run the nursery school. And all around, small children, all born since my first visit, are delighting in singing the songs and rhymes of the morning’s lesson. The scholarship volunteer teachers have all come to express thanks to those who helped them complete their program as do the secondary students. Daouda’s parents proudly shared that he came fourth in his class. Everywhere I go people enquire about the many visitors who have been to the community over the years and I’m asked to pass good wishes on to them. So for all of you out there, momo nu!</span></span>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-75852922723409908412011-10-25T11:52:00.003+00:002011-10-25T12:17:01.116+00:00Back in Mapaki! October 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gINE9O-c4WM/TqaoU6tJD1I/AAAAAAAAOjo/lS1EzTkGiNI/s1600/Nursery%2B1%2B017.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gINE9O-c4WM/TqaoU6tJD1I/AAAAAAAAOjo/lS1EzTkGiNI/s200/Nursery%2B1%2B017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667402258401791826" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I’d forgotten how much I miss waking to the sounds of roosters and morning Muslim prayer mingled with distant church bells all brought in on the whiff of morning cooking fires. My first morning in Lungi, Sierra Leone, set me straight and anxious to get back to Mapaki where I now am. Feeling like I've never left but delighting in reconnecting with friends and noting new developments (gravity-fed water from the hill means no more bucket trips to the river during dry season; library ringing with laughter and song and little dancing bodies as the new nursery school gears up for daily class). Once again, I'm told that the junior high students have had some of the best exam results in the district and seeing the library table filled with studious youth and teachers while little ones crowd the floor and benches around the solar lights helps explain why. There's lots to do while I'm here (for a relatively short time) but I hope to post daily while here. For now I'm just letting you know where I am. Stay tuned for upcoming videos and photo postings. </span></span><br /></span>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-32778092611802989752011-02-26T11:35:00.007+00:002011-02-26T14:45:33.769+00:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">It’s time. Time for the annual brushing or clearing of the uplands for planting. Time of year when the wells go dry and endless buckets of murky water are hauled by hand and head from the closest shallow stream. Time for many to be dreaming and talking and developing plans. Time for me to pack my box, say good-bye for now and head off to Lungi for the remainder of my stay in Sierra Leone.<span style=""> </span>This morning the sights and sounds and sensations related to all these times have been jumbled up with thoughts of family and friends here and elsewhere as news comes from Cote D’Ivoire and Canada and as I start the always difficult process of saying good-bye. The girls have headed off to their granny for two days and I had our room to myself last night, recuperating well from the previous all-night drumming (preparation for the brushing). My small friends stopped by with buckets of water from the stream, in case I had any last minute “brooking” to do. The guest house has been a hub of activity as cdpeace staff and community members talk on-line with Canada and with the women here about economic development and youth gather to develop a three-year plan with Munafa M'Patie. We hold one last meeting about the nursery school (I’m told of a recent report recommending that all primary school communities develop a nursery school for 4 and 5 year olds) and then the Munafa M'Patie people also pack and head off in multiple directions. For the first time on this visit, I’m alone in the guest house and have a few minutes to simply breath and gather my thoughts, reflect on current experiences and anticipated directions. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">As always, I am struck by the incredible ability of people here to find ways to overcome or mitigate the effects of circumstances beyond their control. Climate change affects subsistence agriculture and the response is to experiment with growing different crops, using a combination of time-tested traditional and newer methods. I was delighted to hear that a group of women farmers may travel to the north of the country to see how women there have organized in vegetable-growing co-ops and that women may soon start producing jam. Wells dry up and work begins on constructing a gravity-fed water system to bring fresh water from the local hill-top to the centre of the village. In the country as a whole, 59% of children are out of school and the community pulls together to develop a nursery school to support the youngest and most vulnerable learners. Conflict arises in mining areas and a delegation of local peace-makers manages to bring communities and others together to address grievances peacefully. Global factors (climate change, exploding cost of food, peak oil, unfair terms of trade, land/resource grabbing, etc.) will continue to throw blocks into the path of this and other communities, but the strength, resolve, humour, grace, hard-work, and ingenuity at play here and the connections made with friends like you who share common concern, compassion, and strength will go a long way in keeping this community thriving and flourishing. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">At the start of this year’s visit, someone commented that my blog posts sometimes seem full of misery and despair. It’s true that life is challenging here, beyond the experiences of most of us in Canada and that worry and hardship is part of daily life. I hope, though, that the joy and light and inspiration that keeps me coming back also provides you, maybe vicariously, with some small hope or satisfaction. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I will be incommunicado for two weeks and then will be spending more of my time in Canada but will be returning to Mapaki, the home of my heart, every year that I can. A number of blog readers have been helping with various community support projects over the years…rebuilding cdpeace, health, education, agriculture, etc., and I hope this support can continue. Each day I see or hear about another initiative that could go far with small support (as I write this blog, I've just heard of one more initiative from a neighbouring area that I hope can be supported). There are numerous ways and means to contribute to the community; please drop a line if you want more information. Looking forward to seeing you soon. As always, thanks for reading!!</span></p>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-17012313438556115662011-02-23T11:01:00.000+00:002011-02-23T11:03:38.766+00:00<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The slight nip in the air sent me scurrying to the five three-stone fires in the kitchen at 6:30 today. Each morning I rise early before the girls are up, greet the Chief, visit with Sallay, Mabinty and the other women in the kitchen and return to our “dorm” to prepare the day’s lessons for the young women who are studying in the guest house while we’re here (homebound by malaria). Today’s lessons featured readings on how to bake crocodile bread with palm wine leavening, life in big African cities and an introduction to Deborah Ellis’ “The Breadwinner” from Afghanistan. Adamsay, who’s not currently attending school but joins us with her baby, gave me detailed instructions and plans to show me how to bake a local version of rice bread with palm wine. Afternoons are spent in delightful after-school literacy coaching sessions in the library with dedicated Class One and Two teachers (one of whom teaches a class of over 80 as a volunteer) and eager six to eight year-olds who regale us with poems and songs and wide-eyed wonder over books about chickens and groundnut farms. I join the older students and adults in the library in the evenings while the small ones slip in quietly, find a book and nestle down on the floor to peruse with friends.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">This morning my routine was slightly altered when visited by a delegation of women who asked me to join them in the community centre where they were holding a discussion on the needs of the young children in the village. About sixty women with small children in hand or on laps and backs explained that, while huge gains have been made in education, there are still too many children who are not attending or not succeeding in school and that the girls, in particular, seem to struggle the most. They worry about the number of girls who end up out of school and pregnant at an early age. A nursery school, they felt, would give the young children the extra boost they need to be successful in school. The community has chosen a space (an empty room in the primary school), a teacher, and held initial discussions on class size and student selection to make it manageable yet most accessible to all. Next steps for the community planning committee and teacher are to visit nursery schools in surrounding towns, organize some training for the teacher, set up and equip the space, and seek funding for a salary. When I return to Canada, I hope to help try to raise the $2,000 needed for the first year of operations. The nursery school will be an excellent complement to the other educational initiatives in place…the library, new junior high school, and youth training centre that serve the needs of this and surrounding communities.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">As for me, teaching junior high students here directly myself for the first time is quite an eye-opening experience as I reflect on the challenges for teachers and learners operating in a second language with limited resources. It gives me great respect for those who successfully negotiate this system of education. Time to return to our science lesson on soil and check in on reading logs. Break’s over!</span></span>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-56041574530100455692011-02-20T18:35:00.002+00:002011-02-20T18:39:35.040+00:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Sunday evening in Mapaki. From my comfortable vantage point on the guest house porch, I am lulled by the whirring of the foot-operated sewing machine the tailor is using across the road to craft piles of bright freshly tailored children’s clothing. The sound of a thousand weaver birds in the tree next to the tailor provides a pleasant contrast. Small children, as always, love stopping by to chat and drop off small gifts. My latest was a tiny weaver bird hatchling, tenderly placed in my hand with detailed instruction on how I was to roast this delicacy. When I politely returned the gift, the children told me that tomorrow morning the bird would fly back to the tree. Let’s hope they’re right. The generator is running in the community centre and young people wander in and out to take in the last of a football match. Chief is on his porch, surrounded by community members dealing with the latest community issue. I’m just back from sitting with friends in the kitchen where my attempts to read from a borrowed Krio language book brought riotous laughter from all. I’m chatting with my house-mate about the latest plans and dreams for health education and organization in the Chiefdom, a topic made so much more personal by last night’s frantic round of visits to medical clinics in Makeni on the back of a motor-bike through dust and dark. Makeni, where people also delight in the daily six hours of electricity that is now available. When the lights finally did come on in Makeni last night, shouts of joy resounded from all the houses. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As always on short visits, my time to just sit and take in the sights and sounds and smells of this Chiefdom is just too short and there are too many people and places that I’ll miss seeing. On this evening, though, as the sun is setting and the searing heat subsiding, I take great comfort in simply sitting and “genoting”.<br /></span></p>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-58408239687858678892011-02-19T08:25:00.001+00:002011-02-19T08:27:56.181+00:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">People at the junction have been weeping and crying this afternoon, having heard of the death of one of our young men who had been taken to Freetown for surgery. On my arrival here last Monday night, I was informed that the son of a friend was seriously ill and not expected to survive. He’d been treated with local herbs for some time and was taken to hospital after it appeared that the local medicine was not going to work. The first hospital had no x-ray machine to determine the problem. The second hospital was able to x-ray but did not have the required surgery tools. They recommended a third (known as a place of last resort from where people often do not return) or going all the way to Freetown to the emergency department. The young man was brought back to Mapaki where family and community members met to decide what to do, given the anticipated prohibitive cost of travel and surgery in Freetown. Fortunately, we had just received a generous donation to help with health problems and the cost of travel was covered. Our health officer accompanied the young man and was pleased to be asked to donate blood for surgery on his arrival, as this indicated that the hospital was willing to accept him at emergency (hopeless cases are often not accepted). Thank God the news from the junction was false. The chiefdom ambulance returned from Freetown just now, with the good news that the surgery was successful. A few more hours and he would have been dead, they said. This experience will have a long-lasting impact, I expect, as the hope is that it will encourage community members to seek medical assistance before they reach the same critical state. </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">This week I’ve also had the opportunity to meet with many of the junior and senior high students receiving scholarships and the teachers who have finished, are in the final or first year of distance education. Everyone sends thanks and shares stories of how this support has impacted themselves, their families and communities. Yesterday four junior high scholarship students came to visit. Most had lost either a father or both parents and consequently had no one else to pay their fees. When asked about future plans they shared dreams of becoming nurses, lawyers, office workers, the Minister of Health, all in order to support their extended families, the community or in the case of the prospective Minister of Health, to prevent diseases in the country as a whole. The senior high students, all of whom have had to leave the community to board or stay in the towns share stories of struggle and determination. As for me, I am still so humbled and grateful to be able to share in a tiny slice of life in this amazing place and thankful to all here who have invited and welcomed me into their community.</span></p>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-55830348491950544532011-02-17T10:13:00.005+00:002011-02-17T10:40:41.727+00:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">My heart soars and crashes here in Mapaki, at the start of my fifth visit in five years. On my arrival on Monday night, the chief had just returned from taking a young farmer and father to hospital. He’s home now and we're waiting to see if he’ll need surgery. And as always on my return, I’ve learned of all the children and wives and mothers and teachers I know who have passed on during my absence. Thankfully though, there are also some very positive developments in health care here and we look forward to better news in the coming days.</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" > </span> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Ministry of Education has sent its representatives here to see if they can figure out what’s going on. From being at the bottom of almost all social indices in the district to having the third highest scores in the junior high leaving exams in all of Bombali District this year, this chiefdom has made remarkable gains in education and people want to know why. For me, it seems obvious as I wander into the library at night and see all seats occupied by the older students of the village, intently studying their class notes while the young ones sit side by side on the floor, sharing and poring over boxes of beautiful picture books from Africa and elsewhere under the solar-powered lights in this country that is just starting to see electricity return to the towns and cities. Or after sitting and talking with the Chief and several community members who always place education first when talking about needs and plans for the chiefdom. Or chatting with the several well-educated Sierra Leonean young women who are here from the city to learn first-hand about life in a remote rural village and who serve as strong role models for the girls who soak up their every word. Or seeing how well the support that has come from local, national and international organizations and avenues is used and valued. Or chatting with the various volunteer or underpaid teachers who devote their hearts and souls to teaching, scrambling to further their own education through distance learning while struggling to also feed themselves and families. Or meeting the students, some lucky enough to continue to senior high school, but also needing to scramble to find food to sustain themselves from week beginning to end. Or simply counting the number of primary schools that have sprung up throughout the chiefdom over the past ten years without external support. I think it’s the interplay of these and other factors over time in an area that has come to see first-hand the value of education in improving lives overall, especially when community members like the Turays leave, do well, and then return to work for the community. That’s not to say that the struggle is over. Students still have no desks or benches in the newly build junior high school. Teachers are still unpaid and trying to further their own education. While more are passing junior high exams, literacy skills are still weak and there are now more who can’t continue to senior high because of fee requirements. However, the incredible community cohesion, commitment to education and collective efforts will, I’m sure, continue to drive progress long into the future.<br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" > </span> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">Stopping by the school yesterday, I was delighted to also meet up with my little Class Three friend, Alusine. I’m told he decided to leave his grandma’s house (my neighbour) and moved in with his dad and twin brother in the village up the road some months ago. Alusine promised to stop by for a visit and I look forward to catching up on news with this little bright light I’ve come to know and love over the past few years. This morning he arrived in the village, solemnly presenting me with a gift of a pineapple and an invitation to join him for a stroll to the river beach close to his house. I think we’ll make a picnic of it and all go for an outing in a few days.</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" > </span> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;">There is so much to write about after too long an absence. More later. It's so good to be back!</span></p>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-18717807952032119212010-07-12T13:33:00.006+00:002010-07-12T13:51:57.846+00:00Three Years and 100 Posts<span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >On July 7th it was three years to the day since I wrote my first blog post (this is #101). For an update on what's new, please take a look at the <a href="http://peacefulschoolsinternational.org/images/pdf/nkf_april2010.pdf">Nakamah Kawaleh Report</a> or <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/sierraleonepeacegifts/">webpage</a>. A huge thanks goes to all who have been supporting this work in varied ways! I hope to return to Sierra Leone soon and until I do, I'm continuing to work on resources for schools and students and fund-raising for projects in Sierra Leone. Hopefully my next post will be from Sierra Leone!</span>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-38565304473360130172010-04-02T21:48:00.003+00:002010-04-02T22:02:04.459+00:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GRUmg8ZStmw/S7Zn5z0CFuI/AAAAAAAAOBE/yCGVg2z7mz8/s1600/100_4685.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GRUmg8ZStmw/S7Zn5z0CFuI/AAAAAAAAOBE/yCGVg2z7mz8/s200/100_4685.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455662241464588002" border="0" /></a>It must have been the plaintive lowing of the perplexed cow that first alerted our Lungi neighbours to the bizarre situation unfolding between our houses. No one has yet figured out how the rather large long-horn cow ended up still alive in the murky pit at the bottom of the deep narrow well of the latrine (we think it must have been the soft landing) and all day curious and worried community members gathered around to peer down the hole, wondering how this story would end. Happily, when the Fullah men started arriving with ropes in hands and debating who would be elected to descend into the hole we began to hold out hope for the fate of the poor cow. Sure enough, by mid day, the lowing of the cow became more pronounced and we witnessed a relieved though somewhat smelly cow emerging lassoed-horns first from the pit. Everyone’s faith in and respect for the Fullah men’s ability to resolve all cattle-related problems was deepened and we all heaved a sigh of relief for the cow and for collective community cohesion.<br /><br />Considered the safest place in the country during the war due to the presence of a large peace-keeping force in place to secure the airport, Lungi is a now a quiet and sleepy town and home to many of our relatives who escaped from rebel-occupied Makeni. During this visit I heard how family escaped Makeni with nothing but the clothes on their back and returned home after some time to find all belongings looted or destroyed. Like Freetown, residents from all parts of the country and all ethnic groups are now represented in Lungi and living harmoniously side-by-side. My last few days in Sierra Leone were spent there visiting with children and cousins, marveling over Fullah cow extraction techniques and exploring this very appealing new environment, rounding out the final family and town-based phase of my fourth stay in Sierra Leone.<br /><br />Life in Makeni mirrors, in many ways, that of the village. Wandering the back alleys with Mother Rebecca to drop by a myriad of aunts and uncles and cousins and in-laws, hurriedly pulled by various children of the household behind crumbling structures to escape the roaming porro society, I was often overwhelmed by the combinations of sights and sounds and smells that pulled me back to Mapaki. The pungency of fresh planed wood shavings in the carpenters’ shop mixed with freshly fallen brilliant purple blossoms with the background scent of quietly baaing sheep roped to the wood pile evoked such memory. The taste of sweet Maltina sipped under the moon while discussing pressing issues of national urgency with the wise Makeni Paramount Chief, just back from parliament, contemplating maneuverings of international companies and institutions. The searing heat on sweat-drenched back traversing heaps of cassava planted by nurse Theresa who explains how the salary structure of health professionals would result in starvation for those not fortunate to have access to land for planting (she told me nurse salaries would soon be raised to $40 per month). And of course, the warmth of armloads of small children who, no matter where they live, either delight or run in fear from this strange pale creature who periodically turns up in their homes and neighbourhoods.<br /><br />My last action on leaving Makeni was to visit the shiny new chiefdom tractor that had just arrived, causing me to also reflect on the dramatic changes I’ve witnessed in subsistence agriculture in Paki Masabong, a chiefdom that has struggled to feed its people for some time. In my first year, there was no local rice remaining during the hunger season and many suffered. Second year, after manual expansion with hoe and cutlass, the rice lasted through the twelve months. This year, not only have we enough local rice to eat through the planting season, but enough left to seed, with the help of the tractor, twice the acreage currently under cultivation. At the same time, this expansion will keep twice the number of youth gainfully employed in the chiefdom and away from the powder keg of the towns and city, diminishing the hopelessness and unemployment of rural youth that in during the 80s contributed to the destabilization of the country into the chaos of war. I depart this year with a greater sense of hope for the chiefdom than I had on departing in prior years.<br /><br />As expected, this final week reinforced the current theme of endings and beginnings. My final hours in Salone were spent with Umar fast asleep in my lap, Fati resting with arms tight around my waist and Helen and Kadija curled up next to me. I spent the Freetown to London leg of my return journey in tears after a sorrowful good-bye with the children, not knowing when we would be back together or how their lives would unfold in the coming months. The London to Halifax leg, on the other hand, was spent planning, scheming and visioning a future in which the family is reunited, work in the chiefdom solidified and new horizons of collaboration opening and expanding. I have no idea now of when I will be returning to Salone, though hope it will be very soon. As plans develop, I will try to keep this blog updated. Till then, I’m signing off and out! Owah nu!!!!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo - Uncle Timbo in Makeni with the new twins</span>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-68657477489128020292010-03-21T16:37:00.000+00:002010-03-21T16:38:04.821+00:00The elderly started arriving at 7am this morning, small children guiding blind grandfathers, young mothers with babies on back, elderly women, youth with tools in hand. By the time the meeting started, there were about 70 women and men of all ages gathered on and around the chief’s porch ready to discuss the future of the library. The meeting started with a brief history...how the library started, got built and has been running and moved on to plans for greater community input and planning for sustainability. As always, I am blown away by how the community comes together, finds ways of including all points of view, listens to each other, and comes up with interesting innovation. By the time evening rolled around, a steady stream of youth and adults were wandering into the solar-lit library to sign up for the new, expanded library advisory committee and staying to browse, with the children, through the new Osu books. <br /><br />The distant village of One House continues to expand (up to eight houses!) and today I plunked myself down on the top of the One House hill with long-lost friends Marie and little Teresa, and, to my surprise, my rival Makapr, who had come to help with the communal rice-planting preparation. In the shade of the palm-roof kitchen hut, with cooling breezes wafting by and a breath-taking 360 degree vista of far-off hills and forest, a gang of young boys who were hauling 100kg sacks of seed rice took a shade-break to fill me in on how this farming works. The boys were transporting the rice from the threshing grounds to the new mud and wattle storage shed. Once the new tractor arrives next week, a huge new area of land will be tilled and the local seed, saved from last year’s harvest, planted, with an expectation of a greatly increased harvest next year. Six sacks of rice were being held in reserve to feed all who help with the planting and the harvest will be shared among those who lent their labour to this process (kind of like the story of the <span style="font-style:italic;">Little Red Hen</span>). The boys explained that some of the women with us, who were busy drying and cooking rice, would otherwise have difficulty getting their own rice as they have no land of their own or access to extended labour. By the time I left, my belly was filled with the warm rice and slippery sauce cooked for the workers by the women and Teresa (sister of Saodatu), who could barely walk when I last saw her, was happily chatting to me in English and Temne.<br /><br />On a smaller farming scale (upland versus boli), this morning Benjamin, Marie, Kouame, Mabinty and I walked the narrow path to Mabinty and Kouame’s farm. About four acres of hillside, the farm was covered in trees or brush when I last saw it. Since then, it’s been laboriously cleared (by hand and cutlass) and planted with about 100 palm trees, 25 pineapples and sorgum, which was harvested and put aside as food for poultry. Next, Marie (whose family has “leased” the land to Kouame), Mabinty and other women will use the land to plant their own groundnuts, which will keep the brush from returning, produce food and replenish the soil. After that, cassava will be grown for four years or until the palms start bearing fruit. At that point, the poultry will be built on the land, enough chicken feed will have been produced for the first year, and the palms will be producing oil for eating or selling. Sounds straight forward, but just as with the large farm at One House, the levels of complexity of social relationships involved in all of this is overwhelming (much friendly and informal bartering and negotiating of labour and land and food went on throughout the visit as I heard of the brother who needed to advise the younger to pull his weight, the man-without-a-woman who would exchange his labour for food, the role of women versus men in doing the harder clearing, etc.). <br /><br />Our return to Mapaki was tinged in sorrow as, along with the rest of the village, we stopped to sympathize with our good friend, Michael Kalokoh, who was commemorating the 40th day of his father’s death. The elder Mr. Kalokoh has been in my thoughts and mind for a long time, since his illness during my first “hunger season” here sparked much of my current concern or involvement with agriculture. I remember Michael telling me, when I first met him, that he was an only child but I really had no idea of the impact of that statement until recently. As an only child and now without parents, Michael cannot access the systems of mutual support that a large, extended family provides here, and not having that family support would make farming a difficult choice for Michael, who supports himself through teaching in the primary school. Few teachers who are lucky enough to receive salary can actually feed a family on teachers’ wages here so Michael’s dream and plan is to return to school next year. <br /><br />Meanwhile, teacher Joseph is finishing his schooling this year (thanks to one of the scholarships) and is also working on rebuilding his father’s house. The lack of water here has forced him to move his mud block production to an area some distance away, which explains the stream of children I sometimes see returning home from school with a large mud block on each head (mutual support operates on many levels!). And as labour is generally paid in food here (people work for a meal of rice), Joseph is in search of more rice to feed more block-makers so he can finish the house before the rains really arrive in April. Joseph also has great plans for a number of agricultural initiatives, and I have no doubt that he will be successful in his many goals and dreams.<br /><br />Volunteer teacher and college student (among many things!) Mabinty cleared up some confusion for me today. I’ve been noticing that the number of children and women pounding rice seems greatly diminished since my first visit, when the rhythmic thump, thump of the heavy wooden pestles was a backdrop to almost all activity here. It’s because of the new rice-mill, she explained. Apparently the village has acquired a milling machine and for the cost of two cups of rice to pay for fuel, the miller will mill a large quantity of rice, freeing children and women from this somewhat hated task. As Manbinty explained, pounding rice always resulted in blistered hands when she was a girl, and she would dread the call to pick up the heavy pounding pestle. I miss the sound, myself, but have never been able to pound long enough to raise even a tiny welt. Apparently all are delighted with the new machine.<br /><br />This is a long post today, but may be my last as I’m moving on to Makeni soon, where I may have difficulty accessing a computer. This year’s time here seems to have been all about beginnings and ending for me. It started with the devastation of baby Kadiatu’s death, which has led to a new beginning for me (as Kadiatu’s bare-footed older sister, first-grader Mary, has become a more frequent companion, quietly slipping her tiny hand in mine as I absent-mindedly walk along the road back from school). The ending of the peace project marks a new beginning for me also, as horizons and visions expand and contract while plans and dreams for the future are made. And as I pack up my bag here and prepare to move on for a short time to the bigger town of Makeni, I also start a new phase as a member of the Timbo household and family, which feels like a somewhat more nebulous existence when I am lodged continents away. I look forward to spending time now with daughters Kadija and Helen, Umar and the many cousins and family members in the household. Who knows from where or when the next post will come or what new beginning or ending will have revealed itself by then. Life continues to surprise.Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-32709277464717879132010-03-16T19:03:00.003+00:002010-03-17T11:34:26.099+00:00Seven farmers in Malamp, two women and five men, have embarked on a new venture, thanks to the initiative of Joseph, community school teacher and farmer. This past week Joseph’s school received their collection of Osu books through Nakamah Kawaleh. Joseph is a very astute teacher and after browsing the books, realized that they would also make excellent teaching tools for adults, as they feature situations and photographs with which all can easily connect. In exchange for daily lessons in reading, the seven farmers will be helping Joseph clear his land in preparation for the April planting…a perfect exchange of knowledge and labour.<br /><br />Next September AKT turns 18. Last year a student at our junior high school, AKT is now living in the nearby town and studying at the Government Boys’ School, dreaming of eventually reading for law (slight switch from wanting to be an Ambassador for Peace). He is very excited to finally be able to vote, he tells me, and have a say in the how his country is run. AKT is an exceptionally mature, intelligent and thoughtful young man who came back to Mapaki to sympathize with a relative and counsel his younger peers on the importance of sticking to their books. The only one from the Chiefdom accepted into this school this year, AKT is a bit lonely but tells me his book is his constant companion. Not yet able to afford the school clothes needed for school functions, he spends most of him time in the place where he stays. He recognizes the fact that college fees (about $250 a year) are likely out of his reach, so also spends time while in Mapaki, watching and learning from our carpenter, developing the skills and experience that might one day help him earn his way to or through college. <br /><br />I lost a touch of innocence today, learned a little more about the ways of the world than I want to know and now need a good armful of giggling warm toddlers to put all back in order. But as one dream fades, another sparks. Last night the library management committee met and the dreams and plans that coalesced kept my mind whirling and my soul singing all night. It was Sunday night, but the minute Mabinty opened the door, in flowed a steady stream of children and youth, who went straight to their favourite books, sat down on the floor and either quietly browsed or shared photos and comments with a friend or with me. The committee reviewed main programming areas over the past year (daily use by children and community, outreach, and computer training) and made plans for the coming year (working more intensively with children from outlying villages, connecting with other libraries in Liberia and Ghana and setting up structures for long-term sustainability). With a minimal construction and furnishing budget and a minimal monthly operating budget (for two part-time positions), this library’s success borders on miraculous.<br /><br />As the work I came to do on this trip is now just about finished, I’ve finally been able to do what I first intended when I moved in three years ago and have spent the last few days in the primary school simply supporting school literacy needs. Today the grades 2, 5, and 6 classes created wonderful books for each other based on the Osu book story lines and the grade 2s in particular had an uproariously fine time doing choral reading at full volume (with other surprised teachers stopping by to see what the heck was going on). I am definitely now in the wrap-up stage of the peace project and have many discussions with friends and family about the future. My women friends in the kitchen still find my new weight hilarious (in a good way…morning greeting has switched to “bodi fine!”) and my friend Aminata and rival Makapr have asked if they can each have one of the triplets I’ve told them I’m carrying. I still visit my old back porch where the toddlers congregate and there is always a posse of friends, young and old, with whom to chat or joke or simply sit in the gathering dusk. The elderly man who has been asking me for three years to bring him a loving oporto wife, was pleased when I told him I’ve acquired two for him and rushed off last evening to get his room ready, he told me. Life in Mapaki feels settled and comfortable and good, despite the heart aches and breaks that drift our way. It’s hard to believe that soon I will be packing bags and heading off to Makeni and Freetown before returning to Canada at the end of the month. Mom, don’t worry, I’ll see you soon….this post is for you.Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-7150619802078238262010-03-12T11:19:00.001+00:002010-03-12T11:22:38.007+00:00Omens and Aunties“It’s a bad omen for hunger next year,” I was told this morning at the Mapaki Primary School. I had stopped by to deliver some books and chatted briefly with Mr. Koroma, the head teacher. With the rains arriving a month too early, farmers (and everyone here is a farmer, including the teachers) are not able to clear, burn and prepare the land for this year’s planting, which could result in hunger next year. “And in Canada, how’s the climate; is it also changing?” he asked. Thinking of all the delighted messages I’m receiving about an early Canadian spring, I’m not sure that we feel the harmful effect of climate change as sharply in Canada. Hunger is a powerful learning tool. My hope, though, is that the expected tractor will be able to ameliorate some effects of unpredictable weather in this year of early rain.<br /><br />“Oh, Fati, she has fallen from the bicycle and is seriously wounded! Oash, Fati!” The books delivered to this and many other primary schools are a wonderful collection of local stories developed through a joint Ghana and Canadian initiative (google Osu Children’s Library) and it is delightful to see community members and teachers become deeply engaged in these stories. The story of <span style="font-style:italic;">Fati and Honey Tree</span> led to a long conversation about bees and pollination and farming in general among the teachers and community representative, and comparisons with Canadian bees and farming. All readers are pleased to see local culture reflected in these books as they tell me life and culture in Ghana must be very similar to their own. We all dream, also, of one day being able to tell stories from here in books as beautiful as these. <br /><br />A new generation of toddlers growing up, another name change. When I left last year, there was a posse of about ten toddling tiny boys who hung out at the back porch, greeting and sending me off each day. This year the boys seem to have matured enough to have serious jobs around the household (I see them helping older siblings) and last year’s babies are now the chorus of toddlers. Twins Mamasu and Kebombor and small Marie whose moms have moved on to their home villages are now in the care of the women in the household. They are joined by many other children and grandchildren and to make things easy, I’m changing my name to the generic “Aunty” which can be used for any of the growing number of oporto women who turn up in their lives. “Aunty, aunty, aunty!” is the greeting I now hear when I turn the corner to the house (much easier than Oporto! or Kadiatu! or Isata! or Aminata!, names given to other visiting women).<br /><br />This has been my week to visit schools and communities to deliver books and explain that this particular two-year project has come to an end. There is great scope for reflection and learning from all that has gone on. Once the last of the school visits and workshops have been completed, I look forward to having some time to simply spend with the children and teachers in our local primary school, observing, participating and learning more about daily life in a classroom in rural Sierra Leone. After that, I’ll be with family in Makeni. While I miss everyone at home in Canada, I’m already thinking it will be difficult to leave after such a short time here and such uncertainty in the future.Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-65963855887438417012010-03-08T18:25:00.002+00:002010-03-08T18:42:15.454+00:00International Women's DayLoaves and fishes. French horns and Samba drums. As the stars emerged last night, all roads leading into Mapaki were dotted with pinpricks of bobbing torchlights. Women from about 70 villages across the chiefdom; 800 or so women descended on Mapaki during the early night and have been dancing and celebrating for almost 24 hours straight (and we have another all night jam planned tonight to end off International Women's Day in style). I'd been been told that the women would be taking over the village and that no man would dare set foot outside his door last night. At about 10pm a visiting friend started for home, telling me that this is serious business and he would never dare transgress when given such directives. Unity prevailed though, the men begged to be able to stay up and out and join the women in drumming and dancing and the women conceded...but only until midnight, they said. By that time, I was exhausted from the heat and dryness and dust of pounding feet and beat of the kelle drum beside me and slipped away home through the dark night to spend a completely sleepless night listening to the drums go up and down and around the village all night. By 6:30am most of the women were gathered in small groups outside the Chief's house and making my way to greet people in the kitchen became an impossible job (how many times can you stop and say Seke! Wally! Momo, yes me bodi fine, abundo, bumpy, mighty to friends from distant villages not seen in over a year). Needless to say, the kitchen area was mayhem as all 800 or so extra bodies would need feeding later in the day and all hands in our household and beyond were on board, picking and cutting leaves, pounding groundnuts, cleaning smoky fish. This was my cue to make a hasty exit and slip away on the motorbike along the back road for an early morning literacy workshop and book delivery stop at Mayagba School. The drum beat heard on the way back was an enticingly different rhythm, as Mapaki was, for the first time, proud host to a school brass marching band (Girls' Secondary School of Gbonkolenken). The thinking was that this, in combination with a full day's agenda of speakers and music and drama, would give the girls of the chiefdom the motivation to stay in school until high school. I was blown away by the sounds of the band, which were a clear adaptation of the night-time traditional society's songs blended with jazz and a distinct samba beat played on slightly tattered instruments by girls who'd been standing and swaying in the sweltering heat for some time. Not sure how the girls felt, but it was an amazing way to end a spectacular weekend for me.<br /><br />Sunday was my first day of rest here; first opportunity to simply sit in the kitchen with the women, girls and children, catching up on who has died, married, moved, has new grandchildren here, teasing Timbo's “first wife”, an elder friend with a wry sense of humour who sees herself as my rival for Timbo's affection, and greeting passing neighbours who call out for me to cook them some groundnut soup. As always, spending time in the kitchen observing, interacting and holding the babies is a calming, centering time for me, allowing to be breathe a bit and focus on what truly matters in life and work (still with an aching heart for baby Kadiatu and her mom).<br /><br />I met my first “postal delivery” person at the junction today. He had a letter for someone in the village and asked us to deliver it. I puzzled over the name for a while until I realized the letter had been mailed in the U.K. ten years ago. It contained a broken cd. It puts last year's frustration over a one year wait for a parcel in perspective. <br /><br />My days and activities in this, the last of our two-year joint PSI-cdpeace peace education program are coming to an end soon. When I'm asked what I'll do next, I tell my friends, only God knows what the future holds, though more and more, I'm thinking about a focus on children's literacy as a follow-up. Time will tell.Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-31199431384513737312010-03-06T17:47:00.005+00:002010-03-06T19:55:41.576+00:00We were 37 in number today, from six schools. Michael Kalokoh provided the perfect start to the workshop, finding a quote I often use in literacy workshops. <span style="font-style:italic;">“Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment.”</span> No one really knew who the author, Mohandas Gandhi was, so we had a brief discussion on non-violence and change.<br /><br />The four key principles of literacy learning that we focused on today were distilled from participants' personal experiences and from research and experiences from around the world (from South Africa to Sweden). Teachers also shared a rich array of information on what they are doing well and what local resources they now use in schools that often offer little more than their volunteer time and a chalk board. All were delighted with the West African books the schools are receiving, especially after we talked about how they could be used as models to produce local child-created books. Then, with a budget of about $100 per school, teachers created wonderfully diverse, locale-specific lists of local materials they will purchase and bring into their classes for literacy learning that supports the above principles.<br /><br />I was delighted to see Sinnah, older sister of Alpha, attending as a volunteer teacher from Maso. Sinnah, who had been a student at the junior high school until recently, joins the growing ranks of young women contributing to their community by volunteer teaching (four women attended the workshop; a dramatic increase over past workshops). One day Sinnah hopes to be in the position to attend high school. Her brother Alpha, meanwhile stopped by last night shaking his head and wondering what to do next about the current problem on his mind. Alpha, in grade nine, is deeply concerned about the fact that many of his female classmates have left school due to early pregnancies. He told me how he called a meeting of all his classmates (32 boys and 12 girls) to have a frank discussion about the problem and how they, as youth, can deal with this. Alpha was full of ideas (the girls should come back after they have the babies, the parents should counsel their children more, the youth should stay away from the Friday Loma or local market where some go to meet youth from other villages). He really wanted to also talk with the adults and elders but worried that he was too young to be taken seriously and that no one would listen to him. While relatively young in years, Alpha, like many youth here, tackles community and family issues like an adult and also gives me great hope for the future of this community and country.<br /><br />It's dry season, but we are about to experience another massive rainstorm. Sky is darkening, wind is whipping about , animals are bleating and children are laughing in delight. Got to run and close up here!Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-49028415433375571972010-03-05T13:17:00.002+00:002010-03-05T13:20:56.974+00:00Remember Michael...the young man who made baskets to sell for a week after the theft of his shoes (as you can't go to school in bare feet)? He stopped by to visit this evening and told me of his dreams and current life. Michael is in grade eight and has big plans. He and his family (Dad and sister) have been asked to move out of the house where they have been staying since their house collapsed two years ago. He has already picked out the land where he will build the grass (thatched) house for his family. He told me about the new farm land he and his dad will be planting with rice and cassava this year...and proudly told me of the palm tree seedlings he planted there this past year. Michael sometimes receives gifts from a friend in Canada and in a Christmas box of clothes found that the shoes enclosed were too small. No problem, he said. If you have too much, you should give to someone else...it's not right to keep for yourself things you don't need...and the blind woman next door now sports Michael's new shoes. As I mentally counted the number of shoes I have just in this room, I squirmed somewhat and thought that I have a lot to learn from the wisdom of youth.<br /><br />Just back from my first visit to the library and, like Michael, have a head full of ideas and dreams. School ended early today and seeing the library open, several young girls from the somewhat distant village of Makambray dropped by. While I sorted through boxes and files preparing for a teacher' literacy workshop tomorrow, the girls sat deeply immersed in books. Like Michael and the young women now volunteer teaching at several of the community schools, the Makambray girls and countless others give me great hope for the future...and the library, reaching out to students and teachers in smaller villages has a key role to play in this future. As our peace education project wraps up at the end of this month, my dream is to be able to support in some small way the literacy aspirations of people in the chiefdom. I very much look forward to putting heads together with the teachers tomorrow to see what we can learn and share with each other. Brief conversations this morning have already led to a plan to create rotating collections of teaching resources made from local materials based on what we collectively know about teaching and learning and the local context. <br /><br />Themes for this year's visit to Sierra Leone? Literacy and agriculture, two lifetime areas of interest and passion.<br /><br />If I could upload photos, I would post one of the four small boys creating yet another amazing toy from local found materials.Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-21271095095120018132010-03-04T17:17:00.006+00:002010-03-05T10:17:24.878+00:00<style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Bumpy! Mighty! Mighty bumpy! Mighty fat and bumpy!...all said with awe and admiration (I think). Friends, why did no one warn me about the potential impact my return (going from double-digit weight to well beyond in the land of too much) would engender? Oh well...by now my Mapaki friends who did not recognize me at first have accepted that it's really me in this new mighty bumpy body. </span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">The twinkling lights of Freetown, spied from the plane for the first time this year herald a new era here, I think. I've always found it incredibly eerie to pull into a massive city lit only by thousands of dim kerosene lamps. In my two days here so far glimmers of other “new era” elements are also emerging and I think that this condensed trip, in particular, will cast an interesting light on new developments. Seen so far? Roads repaired (though not yet tarred) from the airport to the main highway and road signs all along the way. A smooth airport arrival (often the most hectic, stressful time here). New vast expanses of ethanol-producing sugar-cane land mostly for the European market (I had my eyes shut tight at this point in the journey). Fewer smoky sparking orange glows of burning brush-land and rain where it was not expected. A new nurse in Mapaki and reports that health care for pregnant women and children is destined to improve. New schools at three of our pilot school sites and at least one new thatched open-air community school on the back road into the chiefdom. Reports of more deaths of friends, young and old. New people here and old friends who have left. </span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">I really had no idea how much I missed the country until I arrived. After being met by and visiting with Saidu's cousins and Helen and Umar, I drove with MO from Mapaki as far as Makeni through the dark, sweltering night. “Slept” (how can you sleep when your body is not yet adjusted to a 20 degree indoor temperature change?) at the Timbo household, where we had a leisurely breakfast with the extended family, cuddling the newest baby, Saidu, who was born the same day as baby Gabriel. And it's been non-stop since then. I'm just back from a trip to Yele (about two hours away) where I visited with my brother's health practitioner friend, Peter, and delivered much needed and welcomed birthing supplies to the community clinic. Stopped to visit with the teachers and children at three of the twin schools, read parts of Janet Wilson's “One Peace” to the children of SLMB (Mount Edward's twin) and had an interesting discussion on children's role in making peace (sparked by a chapter in the book) and on principles of agricultural fair trade (sparked by a question from the Mount Edward students on fair trade cocoa). Met with the community members of Mabarr Line to provide financial help with the rebuilding of their school (the school that was half brick and half mud and wattle last year). Made plans for next week's teacher workshop on links between teaching reading and peace and shared some of the new West African books with community members. Stopped at Mathombo (Parkview's twin) to see the teachers and make plans to return (school was closed so few children were there). Unpacked (I came with no personal items and scrambled to find my old toothbrush and other essential left here), did a quick medical triage with the bandages I did slip into my purse at the last minute after a nasty run-in with a too-sharp knife (overly excited about the avocado pear I found), set up some new electrical equipment (so I can write and post day or night as equipment is now shared between library and guest house) and have had some interesting, long conversations about agricultural plans and opportunities in the chiefdom, which sparked me to the following.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:85%;">First, to let you know up front...the following is not a request for funding...it is, though, an opportunity that some may want to venture into and a response to a new era shift. I've known for some time about a scheme to increase the number of tractors in the country, which now has vast tracts of arable land, unused as most communities are limited to hand-labour for all aspects of food growing and production (forcing many families to also keep children home from school to help with this back-breaking labour). Without getting into the pros and cons here of this option, it seems that now untilled land could go into biofuel production to feed the consumption needs of the already-rich world, as it is in many other parts of the globe. Maybe one day, though, tillable land will first be used to feed local communities. And the opportunity to have this happen here now is at our fingertips. There are 212 Indian tractors available for “sale” (greatly reduced rate) by government and of the 4,000 plus applicants, this chiefdom (only one of three in the country) has been selected as a recipient. The tractor would belong to the chiefdom and be used by village farmers' associations to till unused land for local rice production. Operational costs would be covered through planting a large area (previously successfully planted with a Libyan loaner tractor) with rice to sell on the market (supported by an agency that has promised rice storage, milling and drying facilities in the area). Now I'm not a farmer, but I do have great faith in the capacity of this chiefdom to recognize and address local issues well themselves. The problem is cash flow. A bank account with $5,000 must be established on Friday for the chiefdom to keep its place in line. We are securing a loan, which will go into the account tomorrow. The chiefdom will then slowly pay back this loan with farm credits and income over time. Here's your opportunity. If anyone has an inclination to support this local food sovereignty initiative you would be very welcome to hop on board. We'd prefer to forgive the loan and have local income go directly into food production. This could happen if eight people contributed $500 each. As this falls outside of the PSI mandate, it could not go through or be receipted by PSI. If you are interested, please email me and I can provide logistical details. Please don't feel that this is a request, though...friends, family and blog readers have been very generous in supporting this work over the past few years and I really don't want to come to you with another request. See it, rather, as an opportunity to be involved in a great initiative.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Seems our internet connection is working so I'll see if this can post. Hope to write again soon! Best from Bumpy.Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-61612699066113895102010-03-02T03:02:00.003+00:002010-03-02T03:08:34.033+00:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GRUmg8ZStmw/S4yALa9TI5I/AAAAAAAAN_M/4z35qnNh2bE/s1600-h/Kadiatu+Carol.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GRUmg8ZStmw/S4yALa9TI5I/AAAAAAAAN_M/4z35qnNh2bE/s200/Kadiatu+Carol.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443866983287432082" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">How even to begin! When people ask what I miss most about Mapaki, I usually tell them I miss the babies. Reuniting with my “baby” Kadiatu Carol, the first child born and named after me when I came to Mapaki three years ago, the child I snuggled and watched grow and worried over when she was ill, who would come with her mom on almost daily visits (her mom and I would struggle across language barriers to finally just sit and hold and love this growing child)…seeing Kadiatu again would have been my greatest delight. The anguish that Kaditu’s young mom must be feeling and dealing with now is beyond my comprehension. Kadiatu, like many children in Sierra Leone, suffered from malaria recently. Last week like the other one in four babies who don’t survive their first few years, Kadiatu died. One small child, one among many in a tiny corner of the world in a country many have not even heard of leaves a monumental hole in the hearts of those who loved her. I sit here in the airport, en route to Mapaki, bags filled with books and medical supplies, plans made, workshop invitations printed up, reports to present and meetings to hold and am reminded by thoughts of Kadiatu’s short life of what really matters, what’s truly essential in this life we are given to live. Wise words from my brother and sister-in-law resound. Love and cherish those around you as deeply as you can. Don’t worry about things you cannot change. Resolve conflicts as they emerge. Care for and about others. The workshops and meetings and books and medical supplies will have an impact but really, what I will be focusing on this trip will be building and rebuilding relationships to help create long-lasting and solid connections between these two worlds I’m straddling. I have no idea what technical challenges lie ahead and can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to post regularly so am posting now, while I know I can access internet and power. My first stop in Mapaki will be to share some tears, memories and this photo with Kadiatu’s mom at her home on the edge of the village. I hope to post again as soon as I can after arrival.</span><o:p></o:p></span> <blockquote></blockquote>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263319805820179294.post-70464422430032770852010-02-22T19:19:00.006+00:002010-02-22T19:37:57.878+00:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GRUmg8ZStmw/S4LZBO4ooqI/AAAAAAAAN-Q/HQCY_f37yXk/s1600-h/Bags+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 130px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GRUmg8ZStmw/S4LZBO4ooqI/AAAAAAAAN-Q/HQCY_f37yXk/s200/Bags+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441149915015717538" border="0" /></a><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } A:link { so-language: zxx } --></style><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Salone, my fourth trip, too long postponed after a year spent appreciating the Canadian health care system. I return with mixed feelings as I leave Saidu behind to the cold, cruel Canadian winter (although in the caring hands of friends and family). I am so looking forward, though, to seeing friends and family and community in Mapaki, Makeni and beyond. During this visit, I will be finishing up the work of our peace education project (workshops with teachers, etc.), exchanging twin letters, and working on various components of the Nakamah Kawaleh project (funding scholarship teachers, small grants to schools, teachers health contributions, sharing the wonderful collections of West African books, etc.). It will be a bit of a whirlwind visit as I need to be back on April 1. I return to Sierra Leone with a deep concern about the impact of climate change and food sovereignty in this fragile country where a slight shift in rain patterns or temperature can wreak havoc on age-old patterns of land use and food production (Gwynne Dyer recently explained how production of West Africa's rice harvest would be devastated by a slight temperature increase..I really hope he is wrong). I still believe, though, that creating connections between communities here and there will contribute to that crucial tipping point of informed citizen concern and action required to make the changes the world needs to survive impending challenges we face together. In that light, I will also continue with connecting class communities. The picture featured above shows a gift from the students at Mount Edward Elementary in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia to the SLMB (Sierra Leone Muslim Brotherhood) Primary School in Mabarr Line, Gbonkolenken. Along with personal notes and letters, it is a copy of Janet Wilson's book, “One Peace, True Stories of Young Activists” open to Farlis Calle's quote, “We can't change the whole world alone, but if I can teach people that if you put your hand in mine and little by little we join more hands, maybe we can construct a new world.” I hope we can put hands together too. Please stay in touch through signing up (see right column) for blog posts from Mapaki, where I will be for the month of March. Thanks, and thanks to all for your support with the peace education project and the more recent <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/sierraleonepeacegifts/">Nakamah Kawaleh</a> work.</span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> </p><br /><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in </style><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span>Carolyn van Gurphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03555618645578003421noreply@blogger.com0