Sunday, 27 July 2014

Sponsorship Scheme

If you've seem my recent Newsletter you will know that I'm no longer volunteering with Mission Direct, but have moved on to start a new venture.

Back in 2009 I setup the Sierra Leone education sponsorship scheme under Mission Direct and its grown to the point where that is now what I want to concentrate on. Mission Direct have handed the sponsorship scheme over to our new organisation.

Earlier this year we I wrote to all of the sponsors and supporters asking if they would transfer their sponsorship to the new organisation - I fully expected that we would lose some sponsors. I have been so overwhelmed by the response from our sponsors and supporters. We have had only two people who were donating to the education fund with Mission Direct decide not to transfer to us.

The words of encouragement and support that I have received have been incredible.

Thank you everyone who has been in touch to offer their support, help and prayers

We always need more sponsors and we have a waiting list of students needing to be sponsored.....if you would like more information please email me or if we are already friends contact me on Facebook

Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Urgent Request from Dr Koroma - Preparing for Ebola

Dr Koroma from the Waterloo SDA Hospital has contacted me with a request for assistance with preparing in case they receive suspected cases of Ebola.
 
They urgently need the following:
  • Gloves - a huge amount of gloves
  • Hand sanitizers
  • Antiseptic Solutions
  • Disinfectant
 
The drugs urgently needed to treat the complications such as diarrhoea and vomiting fevers and to correct the dehydration such as:
  • IV fluids (a lot!!!)
  • Chloramphenicol
  • Metronidazole
  • Ciprolox
 
They also have other diarrhoea cases and some Cholera cases, so they need a lot of IV fluids.
 
All of this can be purchased in Sierra Leone - if anyone feels they are able to help with a financial donation so that hospital can purchase the items listed above please let me know - I will happily take any donations with me to Sierra Leone to pass onto the hospital.
 
Another, very important issue for the hospital is they do not have a mortuary - when patients die they are currently left in the ward until the corpse is collected.....at busy times a corpse might be kept in the waiting room, the corridor or even in the doctors office until it is collected. If this is something you think you might be able to donate towards please let me know.

For more information on how to help either contact me on Facebook or click here to email me
 
 

Saturday, 19 July 2014

Drama in Aldi

What an eventful trip to Aldi! We stopped off for a few bits on the way home from work and were waiting at the till to be served when there was an almighty commotion.......a shop lifter had tried to leave the store and security stopped him assisted by two other member of staff.....then a customer also stepped in to help and got hold of his feet.

The suspected thief was hollering and swearing and biting the people trying to restrain him. He was being held on the floor and all the doors were locked, so there was nothing else to do but watch and listen. The guy had been caught with two bottles of alcohol on his bag....he begged to be allowed to make a run for it, then said that he was military and that he'd lose his job if he was arrested, then he said that he was going to pass out, then he was going to be sick......I think he tried every trick he could think of, but they weren't going to let him go. It took the police about 20 minutes to get there and they quickly had the thief cuffed and marched off with him. We weren't allowed to leave until he had been arrested.

It was quite scary, but I was impressed with the staff that dealt with it and the customer that assisted......I don't think our thief will be pinching from there again in a hurry

(btw I'm in the UK at the moment)

RIP Ramatu

I have some sad news - Ramatu, the girl we found abandoned in Kissy way back in 2008 passed away earlier this year.
 
She moved to a new home in September 2013, and did seem to be doing better - but while I was on a break in the UK in April she took a turn for the worse and died.
 
She had such a sad, sad life.....she was abandoned by her mother because of her epilepsy, then she was diagnosed with sickle cell. Many people were scared of her because of her seizures.
For the past few years she has been unable to walk and her speech was quite slurred so she had difficulty making herself understood.
She had to leave school because she just wasn't well enough to attend.
 
She loved biscuits and cherryade.......I miss her.....
 
Rest in perfect peace Ramatu xx
 
 
This photo was the last time I saw Ramatu