Project SIerra- Day 4

Here is the latest from Andrea:

Today, once again, we paid a visit to a Paramount Chief. Chief Kandah Lucini presides over Kamakwie. When you meet with the Chief it is in what is called a barrie, a shaded circular hatched compound usually close to the chief's quarters. We again state how impressed we were about how the community is working with Hope and Homes and Hanci. We can see that success happens when the community works in partnership to rebuild. We also have the chance to meet the recently elected Chief Pasantigie who was previously living in California. He is now a Section Chief in Kawakwie. Lisa Lefebvre, in our group, is also from California. Chief Pasantigie was very interested in talking with her about her home town.

John from Hanci was our guide today. He actually grew up in one of the villages in Kamakwie, was schooled in grade school, secondary school and university in Sierra Leone. He is now back in his home community working to improve the livelihood of the people.

We visited Kamabayo and met the Amadu family including a widowed mother and her six children. She lost her husband in the war. Hanci and Hope and Homes have helped, along with the local community, to rebuild her home. She is such a beautiful women.

We also visited another woman whose husband is blind and must be the breadwinner and caretaker for the family. They were living in unbearable conditions until they were able to receive the same support to get a new home.

We next journeyed onto a new village, Masankone, and met with the Section Chief Bai Ferah Fokie. It is custom to introduce yourself to the chief. He greeted us wonderfully and stated that he is planning to crown our fearless leader, Joe, a Section Chief for all his hard efforts. He was very grateful for the support of Soroptimists around the world and especially for the work that Joe has done in the community.

I must report on one sad part of our journey today. In the first village, Kabombo, we were going to visit some project sites. When we arrived we saw all the children in line and thought they were singing and marching for us, but this was not the case. They were singing for their teacher who was only 23 and had become ill and died the day before. It was so sad. I asked how will they find another teacher? For the time being, they said that someone from the village would fill in until another one was found.

I wanted to finish this blog with what the little children were singing and I could not help not to cry after I heard their song:

'We are marching for our school, always, always. We are marching for our school, always. We are marching for our teacher, always, always. We are marching for our teacher, always. We are marching for the teachers of the world.'

And our journey continues....