Hello All,
The weather has remained consistent throughout my stay here, although the rain is becoming less predictable. Now, it rains not just at the end of everyday but in the middle and at night. Huge thunderclouds roll in and everyone runs for cover. The other day, I got stuck under a tarp in the market for a half hour until I gave up and walked back in the rain. It was actually quite refreshing!
The course I was taking has come to an end and several students went back to the US on Thursday. The course was great – we were able to get to know many Sierra Leonean students who attend Eastern Polytechnic Institute and I think they taught us the most. Many of them are so intelligent and aware of the problems facing health care (and life) in Sierra Leone and their observations and discussions were wonderful. Although many people do not talk about the war here (it's referred to as a civil conflict, civil war, or just 'the war'), a few Polytech students shared their experiences with us. A student I was working with worked with MSF (Doctors Without Borders) for almost three years in the middle of the conflict as a nurse. Others went with their families to nearby countries, like Guinea or Liberia. Interestingly there is no real concept or acknowledgement of mental health issues that people might be dealing with. While post-traumatic stress disorder is known, many people deny that it may be a problem.
I've also learned some Mende. Mende is the dominant tribe in southern Sierra Leone and most people in Kenema speak Mende or Krio. Krio is usually easy to understand and very difficult to speak – it's basically what we would perceive as bad English. Sentence structure is slightly different and many words are shortened or in French. Mende is difficult to understand but fun to learn because it's so different. There is a family along the walk to the hospital that tries to teach me a new word or phrase in Mende every day. They laugh at me when I pronounce words wrong but they are very kind. There are also some kids that hang around the Pastoral Center who try to teach us Mende. They especially like to be able to teach us something!
Now that the course has ended, I'm beginning my practicum. For the rest of the summer, I'll be meeting with NGOs (non-governmental organizations), government officials, hospital employees and others to find the resources, programs and gaps that exist in Kenema. The ultimate goal is to identify a gap for an international NGO, Doctors for Global Health, to assist in filling. I'm working with two other Tulane students, and we've already had some good luck – at a seminar we attended for a training-of-trainers on HIV/AIDS, we met several people who work with local NGOs and have several appointments already! It's pretty exciting and I'm looking forward to the rest of the summer.
Some people asked about the housing and food here. I am living in a Catholic Pastoral Center. It's very nice, with mosquito nets, ceiling fans, and a FLUSH toilet! Everyone here is also very nice and helpful. The Center is a little outside of central Kenema. We eat two meals a day at the Pastoral Center – breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is a little dull, with white bread, tea, and alternating Laughing Cow cheese and fried eggs. We usually supplement with fresh fruit (pineapples, mangoes, avocados). Dinner is more diverse, although the staples are pepper (lots of it!), diced ham, and plantains. The food is really spicy, but the spice doesn't add much flavor. When we get food out, it's usually cassava (a potato-like tuber), rice, cassava leaves, and a really spicy sauce made from palm oil. Again, meals are supplemented with yummy fruit.
I think that's about all for now. Thanks for getting through this long email! Please send emails back!
Katie
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
RE: Hello from Sierra Leone
Yes, How de body is a foreign language! You could confuse everyone more by asking "bee-see-ey" which is Mende for how are you. It's so much fun learning how to say different things in other languages :)
The town is not really very colorful because it's covered with red dust (except when it rains and then it's red water). The women have beautiful fabrics and I'm so jealous of their clothing. And, yes, there are lots of little plastic teapots and containers and bowls.
I'm going to try to send a longer update later this week. I was going to today, but am slowly running out of internet time!
The town is not really very colorful because it's covered with red dust (except when it rains and then it's red water). The women have beautiful fabrics and I'm so jealous of their clothing. And, yes, there are lots of little plastic teapots and containers and bowls.
I'm going to try to send a longer update later this week. I was going to today, but am slowly running out of internet time!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Hello from Sierra Leone
Hello Everyone!
I hope you're all having wonderful summers, wherever you are! I'm currently in Kenema, Sierra Leone, for the summer taking a class and working with a NGO on a needs assessment. I've been here about a week and it has been an interesting learning experience already!
This week has been full of traveling, lectures, walking, and observing. I left the US last Thursday, flying first to Brussels then on to Freetown (the capitol of Sierra Leone in the northwestern part of the country). We arrived at the airport in the evening and took a hovercraft across the large body of water separating Lungi airport and Freetown. There's not enough flat land on the Freetown side of the water to build an airport but there is also no convenient way to get across the water (not sure if it's a river or bay - maybe delta is a more appropriate word?). There used to be a helicopter but, due to political reasons (no money to grease the propellers?), it's not running. There's a hovercraft and ferry. We opted for the hovercraft. We finally got across the water (we being several students and professors because there are only 2 flights a day, every other day, that come into Freetown) and made it to the hotel (which had a/c - oh, how I miss a/c!). The next day we had lectures but the exciting part of the day came when a few friends and I went to a football game (not American football). It was the first game playing on the field for several years because of some weird regulations (?). The game was between SL and Nigeria and, although Nigeria won by one, the game was still a lot of fun.
The next day we traveled to Kenema, where I'm staying until August. Kenema is in the southwestern part of the country. The road wasn't too bad for most of the trip but it wasn't the best ride ever. But we made it! We're staying at the Catholic Pastoral Center, which is a huge complex of rooms, football fields, plantations, schools and more. I really haven't yet figured out where the center begins. It's about a half hour walk to the hospital and into town and I think the people along the route are getting used to all of the strange white females walking by their house daily. The kids call us "p mwois" which is Mende for white person (basically). We can call them "mende-mwois" (meaning a Mende person) but mainly we just wave and smile. I'm also learning some Mende and Krio. Mende is an African language and Krio is English, French, and African languages. To say 'how are you' in Krio you say 'how de body?' It's a little complicated to try to learn two languages, but all the people seem to appreciate the effort!
The rest of the week has been very full. Lectures, rotations, and hospital visits have pretty much filled up my days and it's a little hard to get around after dark. We've heard conflicting responses to safety after dark, so we're all trying to play on the safe side, considering how much attention we draw any way. So, many nights we sit around the Pastoral Center playing cards. Usually, it works out for the best though because I've been going to bed very early and not sleeping very well. Although I think I may miss my mosquito net when I return (strange sort of protective feeling), there are lots of unusual noises and there is almost always a thunderstorm at night. I am getting better sleep though now that I've adjusted a bit.
Sierra Leone has thus far been a huge learning experience. Walking around the hospital, talking to nurses/doctors/public health specialists, and meeting people around Kenema has been very interesting. People are extremely friendly and helpful. The Sierra Leonean students who are taking classes with us have also been especially helpful, showing us around the town and market, and making sure we know where to find things. They are immensely helpful resources and are fast becoming friends.
I think that's all of my updates for now. I hope everything is going well in the US, Russia, China, and wherever else you may be. Please write back - I love getting updates! Also, I have no idea what's going on in the world, so world event updates would be greatly appreciated.
Happy Sunday and Happy Father's Day!
Katie
I hope you're all having wonderful summers, wherever you are! I'm currently in Kenema, Sierra Leone, for the summer taking a class and working with a NGO on a needs assessment. I've been here about a week and it has been an interesting learning experience already!
This week has been full of traveling, lectures, walking, and observing. I left the US last Thursday, flying first to Brussels then on to Freetown (the capitol of Sierra Leone in the northwestern part of the country). We arrived at the airport in the evening and took a hovercraft across the large body of water separating Lungi airport and Freetown. There's not enough flat land on the Freetown side of the water to build an airport but there is also no convenient way to get across the water (not sure if it's a river or bay - maybe delta is a more appropriate word?). There used to be a helicopter but, due to political reasons (no money to grease the propellers?), it's not running. There's a hovercraft and ferry. We opted for the hovercraft. We finally got across the water (we being several students and professors because there are only 2 flights a day, every other day, that come into Freetown) and made it to the hotel (which had a/c - oh, how I miss a/c!). The next day we had lectures but the exciting part of the day came when a few friends and I went to a football game (not American football). It was the first game playing on the field for several years because of some weird regulations (?). The game was between SL and Nigeria and, although Nigeria won by one, the game was still a lot of fun.
The next day we traveled to Kenema, where I'm staying until August. Kenema is in the southwestern part of the country. The road wasn't too bad for most of the trip but it wasn't the best ride ever. But we made it! We're staying at the Catholic Pastoral Center, which is a huge complex of rooms, football fields, plantations, schools and more. I really haven't yet figured out where the center begins. It's about a half hour walk to the hospital and into town and I think the people along the route are getting used to all of the strange white females walking by their house daily. The kids call us "p mwois" which is Mende for white person (basically). We can call them "mende-mwois" (meaning a Mende person) but mainly we just wave and smile. I'm also learning some Mende and Krio. Mende is an African language and Krio is English, French, and African languages. To say 'how are you' in Krio you say 'how de body?' It's a little complicated to try to learn two languages, but all the people seem to appreciate the effort!
The rest of the week has been very full. Lectures, rotations, and hospital visits have pretty much filled up my days and it's a little hard to get around after dark. We've heard conflicting responses to safety after dark, so we're all trying to play on the safe side, considering how much attention we draw any way. So, many nights we sit around the Pastoral Center playing cards. Usually, it works out for the best though because I've been going to bed very early and not sleeping very well. Although I think I may miss my mosquito net when I return (strange sort of protective feeling), there are lots of unusual noises and there is almost always a thunderstorm at night. I am getting better sleep though now that I've adjusted a bit.
Sierra Leone has thus far been a huge learning experience. Walking around the hospital, talking to nurses/doctors/public health specialists, and meeting people around Kenema has been very interesting. People are extremely friendly and helpful. The Sierra Leonean students who are taking classes with us have also been especially helpful, showing us around the town and market, and making sure we know where to find things. They are immensely helpful resources and are fast becoming friends.
I think that's all of my updates for now. I hope everything is going well in the US, Russia, China, and wherever else you may be. Please write back - I love getting updates! Also, I have no idea what's going on in the world, so world event updates would be greatly appreciated.
Happy Sunday and Happy Father's Day!
Katie
Thursday, June 12, 2008
RE: Sierra Leone
Hi! Sorry for the slow updates! The internet is a bit of a walk from where we are staying so I can only access it during longer breaks from class or on the weekends. Luckily, Emily has a computer so I'm going to write emails on her computer then send them when I can get to the internet. Thus far, the trip has been a lot of fun, although challenging. I really feel like I'm learning a lot, especially from the Sierra Leonean students who are taking the class with us.
The food is not great, but it is growing on me (and hopefully not in me! hehehe, sorry that's gross!). It's mostly carbohydrates like cassava (like potato), bread, pasta, kuzkuz. We do get eggs or cheese in the morning and I'm eating chicken during lunch, so I get some protein there. Plus, the fruit is very good. Everyone has been taking turns buying pineapples and sharing them for dinner. Very good!
Holly missed the flight (apparently it took her almost 5 1/2 hours to get from her house in northeastern PA to the GW bridge), but she arrived here yesterday (Wednesday).
The weather is super hot and humid, but I think I'm slowly getting used to it. And it thunderstorms almost every night which cools things down considerably. THere are actually some people here who think it is cold outside and wear very cold-weather clothes (heavy jackets and/or wool hats).
K, I have to run now, but please feel free to pass on this message to anyone else who may be interested. I'm planning on sending a full update on Saturday.
HOpe everything is going well! Please send me updates of what's going on there too!
Love,
Katie
The food is not great, but it is growing on me (and hopefully not in me! hehehe, sorry that's gross!). It's mostly carbohydrates like cassava (like potato), bread, pasta, kuzkuz. We do get eggs or cheese in the morning and I'm eating chicken during lunch, so I get some protein there. Plus, the fruit is very good. Everyone has been taking turns buying pineapples and sharing them for dinner. Very good!
Holly missed the flight (apparently it took her almost 5 1/2 hours to get from her house in northeastern PA to the GW bridge), but she arrived here yesterday (Wednesday).
The weather is super hot and humid, but I think I'm slowly getting used to it. And it thunderstorms almost every night which cools things down considerably. THere are actually some people here who think it is cold outside and wear very cold-weather clothes (heavy jackets and/or wool hats).
K, I have to run now, but please feel free to pass on this message to anyone else who may be interested. I'm planning on sending a full update on Saturday.
HOpe everything is going well! Please send me updates of what's going on there too!
Love,
Katie
Saturday, June 7, 2008
In Sierra Leone safe and hot
hi all,
i got safely to sierra leone last night and wanted to let you know. my flights were all relatively on time, transfers went smoothly, and the hovercraft we took across the large body of water separating the airport from the city was fun. i'll send a more updated and informative email later.
love,katie
i got safely to sierra leone last night and wanted to let you know. my flights were all relatively on time, transfers went smoothly, and the hovercraft we took across the large body of water separating the airport from the city was fun. i'll send a more updated and informative email later.
love,katie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
