Back in Freetown

I arrived back here on Tuesday evening. It's noisier than Rolal but the benefits are the loo, the shower and an electric kettle and toaster and far fewer biting insects.

I felt something walking on my face in bed last night. I jumped up and put the light on and saw a cockroach walking up the wall. I tried to splat it with a book but it ran too fast so I got it with a spray. Yuk.

I am going to pick up the boxes of toys and books I sent by ship this afternoon. I am looking forward to sorting it all out and cataloguing it. The idea is to lend the toys to the parents of children and I will give a box to the primary school I have adopted. they don't have anything much at all.

The rainy season is still here and we get some bad rainstorms but they should get less and less over the next few weeks until they disappear altogether.

I am writing some simple stories for the girls who cannot read well based on their lives. Somehow many of them are sad and involve early marriage. Education is their only way out but some of them have a long haul. Most of them only speak the local language Temne. If they speak the everyday language Krio it helps because there are a lot of English words so I learned to speak slowly. I will probably come back and speak in a very simple English to everyone!!

I hope I can go and have a swim later this afternoon in the sea. I have spent 7 weeks wishing for a swim. There was a river locally but bathing in fresh water is not advisable. You can catch all sorts of nasty things.

I was in Rolal to help with the opening of the new senior school. We had the official opening on Tuesday and it went well. The people who put up the money were very pleased. Now we are looking for someone to build the second floor.

Will get on with more work now, so will write again next week.

Pat