Us in the Paper

Switching on Sierra LeoneMost of us spend our summer holidays sunning ourselves on a beach in the Med, doing as little as possible and who can blame us, we work hard all year around for two weeks of “me-time”. So, it is both admirable and inspirational to meet two young guys who are not only turning their backs on the lure of an 18-30’s holiday, but are planning to forgo home comforts in Sierra Leone, West Africa, to install information and communication systems in village schools.Iain Parks and Duncan Haper are set go to to Sierra Leone to assist with an education based project that will provide communication support for schools in the Anglican Diocese’s of Freetown and Bo.Iain said: “Sierra Leone is a still developing nation that is recovering from a rebel war that ended a decade ago. Fortunately, there are many causes for optimism with their new government in place.”The project is run as part of the Diocese of Chichester’s Inter-diocesan West African Link (IDWAL), which builds contacts between parishes and schools in the Diocese of Chichester with those in West African nations such as Cameroon, Guinea, Liberia, Gambia, and Sierra Leone.Duncan explained why his trip was important, “The availability of communication technology in Sierra Leone is very poor. There are very few internet points, Limited access to telephones and posting mail is too unreliable. Improving access to communications is essential to Sierra Leone as it develops”. Using the ICT skills he utilises at CIC, Duncan will be providing ICT advice and analysing their communications needs for future visits from members of IDWAL. This will also help develop the communication of the children of Sierra Leone and the children of Sussex, as they grow to learn from each others experiences.Duncan and Iain will be going without home comforts, living in basic accommodation during their visit and can expect temperatures of around high 30’s and 98% humidity. Duncan said “I feel a mixture of nervousness and excitement, it will be a lot of hard work but I know it will be worth it.”