I'm writing from Kenema, a one street town near the Liberian border in south east Sierra Leone. Currently I am helping with water and sanitation projects in the local rural/bush communities. Strictly speaking I am currently recovering from a barbie at the house that ended in drinking games.
The rainy season is nearly upon us and most evenings we witness raging thunder storms while sipping a few cold ones on the porch. There is now a lot of stagnant water lying around and a number of expats have succumbed to Malaria. The locals often get Malaria, but it does not effect them as badly and seem to be quite proud of the particularly potent local mosquitoes, their 'African Soldiers'.
Last weekend I played in an Aid Workers football XI against the British Army detachment at the national stadium in Freetown. We won 4-1 and went on to beat them at a few bar games that evening, before going onto Freetown's infamous nightclub Paddy's.
Last Wednesday Tony Blair made a one day visit to Sierra Leone, but didn't make the trip across the river estuary from the airport to Freetown. He is a great hero here and a lot of the Freetowners were a bit put out that he didn't make it to Freetown proper. I think Tony might have been a bit disappointed with how much progress has been made considering the amount of aid pouring into Sierra Leone, approximately 60% of the government's budget is made up of donor aid money.
Elections are scheduled for 11th August here and people are hoping to see some significant changes. In the communities the bush societies have been very active as political opponents cast bad juju on each other, traditionally the powerful 'medicines' have required human sacrifices.
Hoping for successful and peaceful elections,
Alex
The rainy season is nearly upon us and most evenings we witness raging thunder storms while sipping a few cold ones on the porch. There is now a lot of stagnant water lying around and a number of expats have succumbed to Malaria. The locals often get Malaria, but it does not effect them as badly and seem to be quite proud of the particularly potent local mosquitoes, their 'African Soldiers'.
Last weekend I played in an Aid Workers football XI against the British Army detachment at the national stadium in Freetown. We won 4-1 and went on to beat them at a few bar games that evening, before going onto Freetown's infamous nightclub Paddy's.
Last Wednesday Tony Blair made a one day visit to Sierra Leone, but didn't make the trip across the river estuary from the airport to Freetown. He is a great hero here and a lot of the Freetowners were a bit put out that he didn't make it to Freetown proper. I think Tony might have been a bit disappointed with how much progress has been made considering the amount of aid pouring into Sierra Leone, approximately 60% of the government's budget is made up of donor aid money.
Elections are scheduled for 11th August here and people are hoping to see some significant changes. In the communities the bush societies have been very active as political opponents cast bad juju on each other, traditionally the powerful 'medicines' have required human sacrifices.
Hoping for successful and peaceful elections,
Alex
