Still hot and rainy... but fun :)

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