Life in Sierra Leone

Sorry I haven't posted since Monday, but the net connection has been rather unreliable.

Life is much more basic here than we are used to. The infrastructure is very poor with some passably good roads but most not. This is the dry season so I can't imagine what its like in the rainy season when it is constantly pouring.

This area has some quite nice houses, mostly built on the same plan, two or three stories with a wide veranda round each story to keep the rain away. Most of them have shutters for security but no glass in the windows, it would be unbearable and there is no need keep heat in here. There are also quite a lot of wooden shacks with bits of material for doors and people sit outside them all day. Cooking is mainly done on open fires outside, even in well to do houses. All the washing is done outdoors too and they really beat their clothes hard, probably because they are using cold water, then the washing is laid out over walls or rocks, anywhere really it can dry.

The food is highly spiced but always with pepper. Rice with a spicy soup and some sardines is on at the moment but I have to admit I can only eat so much of it. The fresh bread rolls are lovely though and only 30p for four massive rolls. I have discovered where to buy laughing cow cheese spread and jars of pate so that will be my evening meal tonight.

Breakfast comes from a stall just outside the school. I'm sure most of my friends would just look in horror at the hygiene but I haven't had a tummy upset yet. They do chicken pieces and a choice of a sort of omelette with lots of onion, boiled eggs, fried beans (no tomato sauce) fried plantain and banana fritter type things. These all go in rolls or small loaves if that is your main meal for the day.

The medical care is probably the worst problem. Many of the doctors are not very good and just write out a prescription for 10 drugs and send you to their brother who runs the pharmacy. If one of them works, then people think they are good doctors.

Miriam keeps a supply of drugs for malaria etc, because the same illnesses come up again and again. The deaths in childbirth are frightening. We heard this week that two of the ex-students have died in childbirth and a quarter of all children born will die before they are 5. TB is still claiming a lot of people as well.

Probably the most frightening thing is the apathy of most people. It never occurs to ask whose fault it is, where aid money goes, can they complain and get anything done.The whole system is to never question your elders or ask questions so they have it knocked out of them very early in life. Most of the pupils are afraid to give an opinion on anything in case they say the wrong thing.

I will post this before I lose the network agian. Hope its not too cold.

Pat