Thursday 19 August 2010

Growing up isn't easy

This made me sad.....

A girl of around 14 came to see me at the team house we use in Freetown.

She was in tears and was in a real state because she thought she was dying. She had stomach pains and was bleeding.....

.......it was her first period but no-one had prepared her for it - the poor girl had no idea what was happening to her body.

Wednesday 18 August 2010

Back to School

I'm going back to Sierra Leone at the end of this month to work on the child sponsorships and also to start preparations for a teacher training team that will be coming in November.

For the sponsorship I will be paying the school fees, getting the uniforms made and making sure the students have everything they need to start the new school year. I'll also check the students report cards from the last school year so I can see their progress and make sure they are attending school. We have in the region of 70 students sponsored now, and plenty more needing sponsorship.

I'll be joined by a retired head teacher for a week in September and together we'll be making preparations for a team of retired teachers from the UK who will spend 2 weeks in November training teachers in some of the schools we work with in Kissy. The picture here was taken in one of the schools that we will be working with. 5 classes are taught in the one room (with class six being taught outside on the veranda). This picture was taken during the school holidays - it is usually slightly more tidy than it appears in the photo. This will be the second teacher training team this year - the first one in January worked in schools on the west side of town.

Monday 16 August 2010

Amela

Good news! Amela is being released from hospital today. His treatment for TB has gone well, he is eating a lot better and his breathing is easier.

I'll be back in Freetown in a couple of weeks so as soon as I can I'll be visiting him to see for myself how he's doing, I'm so looking forward to seeing him again.

He has asked for a wheelchair (he spends most of his time on the floor), if anyone has an unwanted childs wheelchair that they would be willing to give to him please let me know.