Monday 24th November

Monday was all about travelling. A huge part of the journey was on particularly poor roads so we intended to set off at 7am so we didn’t have to do any movement in the dark. Well three letters describe what happened next TIA (This is Africa), for those who have never been it simply means that anything can happen and don’t count your chickens that things will run smoothly. By the time Jalloh turned up it was 8am, then he went to collect Canon and come back to us this took us to 9am, finally we needed to collect some things before setting off, mostly things that cost money and we finally set off at 10am. Not too bad really just three hours late. Within the first hour of the journey the car seemed to be playing up but Jalloh insisted that it would make the journey there and back with no problem, since neither of us have any mechanical knowledge we trusted him. The journey took 8 and a half hours which included an hour stop at the school at Bauya, so our arrival in Yago was at 6.30pm, we then had a two hour boat trip into Bonthe. The boat trip was wonderful, the sea was calm and it was nice to be able to spread out and watch the stars. Finally on arrival in Bonthe we were escorted to a wooden shack where we believed we might be staying, we could feel the panic on each other’s faces. Fortunately we were just here for a meal before being escorted to our accommodation. The accommodation was with a family of parishioners (more will be said about them), they made us welcome then it was off to bed.

Sunday 23rd November

Sunday morning was the big day for the Diocese of Freetown, it was the ordination service. 10 candidates were due to be ordained deacon and 8 priests. After attending the rehearsal the night before – which took two hours – we were well aware that it was going to be a long service! How right we were in total we were in the church five hours fifty three minutes. There must have been over 2500 people for the service at St Georges Cathedral and in this culture the people aren’t happy if they can’t come up to the alter to receive so communion last an hour, 9 communion hymns were sung and 3 psalms chanted. It was officially the longest service either of us had ever attended!!!!! After church we had a quick chat with Canon Coker and his wife Lucy about the trip to Bonthe, and then the Bishop said we were to tell Pa to follow his car, he was taking us to a secret location for ‘something’. With the Bishop being a Grand Commander of the Order of Rokel (a Mason to those of us on the outside) we could have been going anywhere, fortunately it was to a tiny little pub (if we told you where we would have to kill you) to meet with some of his friends for a beer or two. It is the type of secret location we both rather happy with. Finally we had an appointment at 7 to meet with Canon Coker we thought to talk about the trip further but how wrong we were, his curate had just been ordained and it was to attend her party. More beer, Good times! We finally departed at 11pm with a beer in hand to get some good rest.

Saturday 22nd November

AHhhhhhhh, awake at 3am. Less than inspired by such an hour, we managed to muster the strength to reach the “Express” (oh yes, the speedy express) bus stop by 3.45, ready to magically return to Freetown as soon as possible. We were both knackered and once on board, and on the road, Parksy took no time to find some sweet sleep salvation!
By half past 8, much surprised at the speed of the journey, we were home. Absolutely exhausted we doddered around in a daze before poor Parksy had to head off at 2pm to a practice service for Sunday’s imminent ordination service, those of us who don’t favour the life of a Bishop’s Chaplain pottered about at home getting particularly angry at the speed of the internet......
By late evening, thoroughly lacking the will to live, Iain arrived home, after muttering senselessly for a while about ordination rehearsals and constant kneeling.... I sent him straight to bed.

Friday 21st November

Well, well, well. On Friday morning we both felt, as if by some weird twist of fate, we’d spent the night in “comfortable” accommodation worth £1.50.......and oh look at that, we had! Daru – “ simply unforgettable accommodation.”
The money was definitely worth it, yet the state of the bathroom (outside and dirty to say the least, and a tad over-run by giant spiders,) was not; thus we were both pleased to be on our way....oddly. The idea of a school at Levuma, then Biiama, and then the prospect of a brief sleepysleep in Bo with air/con, had us dreaming of a sweet return home to Freetown. And so, we were on our way!
Travelling from school to school, some official work under our belt, took us just over 4 hours, after an early start that is, yet we seemed to snap them up as if they weren’t even there! Levuma reminded us of many other schools in Sierra Leone, over-subscribed and lacking space, yet other than that it was surviving....just. And after a brief meeting with the local town elders we were off to Baiima, the only school run by a woman in Bo Diocese! Baiima was delightful, mainly, I must say, due to the fact that the school is run by a woman who has been to England. Appreciative of the link, she was accommodating, loved our presence, and even provided us with chips and tea for lunch.....just a dream really! And the school has benefitted from the link of course.....
After 2 school visits, we were on our way to our temporary home of Bo. And after a brief stop in Talia and Kenema to pick up some school packages we were off! To Bo and beyond!
By 3pm we were, slightly battered by the dodge roads, yet certainly alive and well in Bo. And with the prospect of waking at 3am to board the government bus to Freetown, we were, accompanied by some freebie beers from Kenema, on bed by 8.30.....

Thursday 20th November

We always knew that Thursday was the first real day of travel so much so we packed our thing from Bo and expected to be in Daru 70miles east by 4 o’clock to settle for the evening. Don’t worry we made it ok! On the way to Daru we head to Blama first a nice school just of the Bo-Kenema highway. We had a good time with the head before moving on again to the school at Komende. Komende is a particularly bad school as it has no building so the four classes all meet together in the town square. It must be impossible for the children to learning but 240 of them are at least trying. Although early on in our visit to Sierra Leone we went to the Kenema Schools we thought it wrong for us to go through Kenema and not see them again. On arrival we were greeted by Mother Tucker the new Bishops wife. From here we headed to our final school of the day Talia. Talia was an impressive school since they had a problem with the roofing of the building earlier this year. They made an appeal to their link school and they now have a roofed school and a second roofed structure to their credit. From here on to Daru! You wouldn’t believe it but we found accommodation for Le8000 which is about £1.60, granted not the most beautiful place but at least it was a bed each. After going for a few beers at a local establishment we headed back to the guest house for a meal that Mr Lusini wife had made(it was the live chicken we were given the day before!!!!). While we were eating we made friends with two Liberian women called Rose and Josephine and talked about our experience in Liberia – it seems so long ago but yet so close. It was then time for bed another big day ahead!

Wednesday 19th November

We started the third day of our 5 day mission with a visit to Bayama, the former Bishops birth village. As you will know from the earlier blog he is now retiring so we set off 35mins late (African Time) with a couple of twenty gallon tubes of palm oil and a goat (yes you read that correct a goat) loaded on the vehicle and we headed first of all to his house. We quickly passed from there on to the primary school where we were met by the children doing cultural dancing. We said a few words to them and met with the head before heading on to school two at Massam Kpaka. Sadly the link with Massam Kpaka hasn’t been a strong one and we met strong appeals to assist them in the link program. After spending time in each class we again headed off to Gobaru school. This was always going to be a difficult time as we have been having a few problems with this link but we were assured by the head that he would sort this out and after eating our third meal of the day we headed home to Bo. It seem Mr Lusini the Education secretary, never goes hungry.

Tuesday 18th November

Koiva – Vandahun – Helabu

A day of contrast for the school links team in Sierra Leone. The first school that we visited, Koiva, was dilapidated to say the least! No toilet, a run-down 40 year old building, situated in the middle of nowhere. Cultural dances, a school successfully audited, a link strengthened and an address to the town chiefs later (with a Megaphone!) and we were on our way to Vanwahun. And oh the contrast between the two closely abiding schools is so severe. Benefiting from a government grant (a rare occurrence) the school has it all! Toilets, working water well, a brand new building and, even, the holy grail of educational necessities, a brand spanking new head teacher’s quarters on site. Koiva, by the way, hasn’t even got a well. Well, after a meal of rice and bush meat (who knows what! Probably eagle or something...) we were off to our final destination of Helabu. And then, the fire-works!
On arrival at Helabu, let’s just say we weren’t happy. We walked into the first classroom, to inspect the newly furnished roof (paid for by the enthusiastic link school!) and we what we found was astonishing. The classroom, populated by 20 odd children did indeed have an excellent new roof. However, the ceiling held up by rods of bamboo, was sagging heavily, and intently, over the children. Any moment, the whole structure could have collapsed, crushing the innocent children to death! And I’m NOT exaggerating. What proceeded after this was a heated, perhaps forceful conversation with the headmaster and town chiefs about the safety of their children. Parks rammed the message home with the headmaster, and I attempted to lecture the town chiefs about their responsibilities as parents in the community, and the possibility that we would remove their link if the situation wasn’t resolved. The ironies of the situation were laughable, the subject, however, was deadly serious. After the visit, we set off for home, drained by the experience and thoroughly in need of some rest.
Oh and some, pound wine. Very important that pound wine....