Sierra Leonie ADVENTURE

Arriving at the border of Sierra Leonie began a hair-raising roller-coaster ride from 8 a.m. to 7p.m.
This was not only FUN but totally frightening at times as the 4-wheeler Pajero slipped and slid rocked and climbed the so called road which was the worst possible road you can imagine and then worse than that.  As I looked ahead at what was to come I could not imagine how we would possibly make it but we did though several times we had to walk while the wheel was removed and the axle repaired (TWICE) or the engine needed some assistance.  The walking time was wonderful - the nature so very beautiful. In fact the whole journey was beautiful and the11 passengers squashed together like sardines in a can could only laugh at the danger we often felt we were in. The driver did a sterling job and we all became really close friends as we got to know each other _ a special day and one I will never forget. Coconut juice as we crossed a river in a locally crafted ferry boat and carried ashore by a young gallant man
On arrival we were escorted by passengers to a hotel(of sorts) The STAR hotel in BO Town as it was too late to continue our journey. Only when safely accommodated were our new friends content. An early morning arrival of Hawa who came to escort us to the next stage of this journey to Rokel Community.  ALL my luggage and me on a motor-bike to the taxi-rank.

                                                                  The road we climbed

                                                                        Car problems

                               On the way we met lovely scenes of rural life in Sierra Leonie

                                                                       Beautiful Nature

                                                               Crossing the great river

                                                                                Hawa

                                                                     Coconut Drink

                                                                    Pulled Across

                                                                      To the other side

GIFT OF YALI Mandela Washington Fellowship

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leader's is the flagship of President Barack Obama,s YOUNG AFRICAN LEADERS INITATIVE (YALI) that empowers young people through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking.
The "fellows" who are between 25 and 35 years age, have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovative and positive change in their organisations, institutions communities and countries. Out of 50,000 applications only 1000 were chosen from 49 African countries.
I have had the privilege of meeting YALI Fellows in all the different countries I have been visiting as my colleague on this journey, Janet Manoni, is herself a 2016 YALI fellow.
These Fellows have not only hosted us but also organised a programme of meetings with organisations and individuals active in healing, education, farming, social work and care, human rights. This has given me the opportunity to meet remarkable people doing wonderful work throughout Africa. Doctors, Nurses, Social workers, Professors, Deans, Superintendents, Directors, Educators, Ministry, hospitals, schools and farms and many NGO's begun and directed by these young people.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to you YALI FELLOWS for your wonderful care and organisation during this mission.
As we leave each country Janet says "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED."  YAY thanks to you.
Janet herself has an NGO -FoCC - Friends of Children with Cancer. In this organisation she cares for the child in hospital, the support to the family, organising funding for the needs and expenses of medication, education in the hospital so the children who might be in hospital for several years have a school within the hospital, volunteers to help, bringing awareness to all about cancer in children so that children can be treated before it is too late - she can boast 85% children can be cured if treated early enough, and those that do not survive - she sees that they have a burial. She has taken on Hydrocephalitis and spinabifida and other non- communicable diseases AND MUCH MORE.
TO QUOTE NELSON MANDELA
"Leadership is behavioural, not positional: The capacity to integrate, motivate, and mobilise others to bring a common aspiration to life is what leadership is all about, not holding positions of formal authority"
Yes Madiba we are all leaders and we need to discover this within ourselves.
The journey continues

Ivory Coast

As one crossed the border from Dormaa Ahenkro, Ghana into Cote D'Ivoire, one was struck by the poverty and yet colourful rural folk. As we travelled south to Abidjan, seeing the beautiful men and women, all so exquisitely adorned in designer clothing, I wished my eyes were a camera so that I could share this beauty with you. The market place, fabric and clothing, was very tempting.
We met men and women active in caring for the youth - International Youth Fellowship. We also met a group of Educators active in encouraging children to read and also caring for health and community. Volunteers mostly, in which out host, Jose Landri-Guehi, played a leading role in organising.
Jose's wife, Marie-France, prepared delicious traditional food for us each day.
The visit to the HUGE hospital where we met doctors, a paediatric oncologist, nurses and social worker in the child cancer ward was again a deeply moving experience especially as we went through  the wards meeting the children.
We were invited to the American Embassy, Cultural Affairs, where Janet as a YALI 2016 fellow, shared her experiences in America and her work in Tanzania.
On our last day in Cote D'Ivoire we went to Grand-Bassam and joined in the festivities of their New Year.  Each tribe, family, has a day to celebrate their culture - 7 days, 7 families.
Thank you Jose and Marie-France for your generous hospitality and organisation.

                                                                    The BORDER

                                                                        The ROAD

                                                                       
                                                                        A Village

                                                       Children sheltering from the Sun

                                                                     The Hospital

 
                                                            Jose and Marie - France

                                               Children dancing at the New Year Festival

                                                    Our last evening in Cote D'Ivoire

MODE OF TRANSPORT

                                         A SUCCESS STORY IN Cancer ward for children

                                             Some of the Ladies in the LADIES GROUP

Cosmos Centre Ghana

After a long and weary bus journey we arrived at about 11p.m. in Dormaa Ahenkro and were met by Patrice and Ayala with dinner in hand. Due to engine problems the journey had taken 14hours so this late meal was sincerely appreciated.
Dormaa Ahenkro is a beautiful rural village with a wonderful tranquility.  Cosmos Centre carried this peace to the full.
Cosmos Centre is a home for children with Special needs - in fact children with severe disability.
The centre was started over 10 years ago by Cosmos, Francis Kyere Boakye and he continues to support the work here from Sweden.
I found here the most wonderful teacher, Ayala, Joseph Ankamah - patient, kind and gentle, who does a great deal with the children. He teaches them with great patience step by step including rhythms in song and verse and gesture, maths with blocks and abacus, weaving and wonderful Ghanian stories - in a true Waldorf manner. A natural talented teacher with a great interest in farming too. He taught me much about the plants he grew, all the healing qualities.
The greatest challenge is trying to get the Ghanian people to accept that these children with special needs have a place in society and deserve care.
There is building underway but slow due to lack of funds but this building would house and care for many more children out there in Ghana needing special care.
The general feeling was that here children who would otherwise be traumatised by their restrictions were happy, content and so very caring to one another. Mostly non-verbal but sensing and helping each other wherever they could.
The two Mamas served us well with care and wonderful meals. We arrived with "flu" and left healed.
THANK YOU COSMOS CENTRE.

               Above a completed building and below - one that NEEDS help to complete

Ayala "The Teacher" above and Patrice "The Inspirer" below. She visits regularly from Belgium and brings such special care.

          Kobi, Samuel, Bright, Kwadwo, Saraphina and Isaac with Ayala under the tree.

 Kwadwo  -  5yrs old

                       Bright  -  12 years old, above, and Isaac - 15 years old, below, busy weaving

TOGO TO GHANA

Amongst all the amazing meetings there are also the difficult days, the challenges and the heart-breaks. One sees poverty, one sees injustice, one sees decadence and destruction and one tries to hold onto the light and shine through it all.
Togo border was one of those moments. SORRY YOU MAY NOT LEAVE TOGO BECAUSE YOU OVER-STAYED. It turns out that French Embassy gave me 02 days instead of my request for 20 days on a 1 month visa. So 6 days in Togo meant NEW VISA to be acquired PLUS penalty - a huge expense to my limited funds AND holding up a Bus of many good people by two hours. They all smiled at me when I apologised and seemed grateful that I had passed the test and was still on board.
So we got to Accra after 11 p.m. and in the attempt to phone our host to say we had arrived my phone was nicked.  Losing my phone was bad but worse still was losing over 30 interviews - ALL CAREFULLY STORED ON THE PHONE.  I had failed to download them.
Today I was offered a modem for the day and have caught up on much of my internet work.
Tomorrow I will reach Cosmos Centre which I spoke of in one of my first blogs.

Togo Continued

The child Care Centre we visited, was a centre that cares for children whose parents work selling goods in the market place.  These children are usually left at the side of the crowded roads, neglected and left to defend for themselves. The Centre takes in these children giving them a structured and cared for space all day ensuring education, and what I found most remarkable was that the teachers and carers gave special attention to training the mothers in the importance of relationship and care. The mothers bring the child a meal during the day and sit with the child while they eat and are encouraged to have conversation with their child. I was there at pick up time in the evening.  The children looked healthy and bright eyed - all had happy faces. As each child was collected, the children sang or chanted a goodbye song to that child, naming the child, who then circled the group and waved to each of the teachers/carers, including us, the visitors.

All with delightful laughter.

We met the group of Palliative Carers at their centre, a self constructed NGO. The group consists of 15 members including two doctors, nurses and social workers.  The patients they cared for were mostly cancer patients with breast cancer being the highest , but organ failure e.g.. heart problems and other ailments were also  on the list. Aids not so often as there were other organisations helping with these conditions. There is no palliative care in the hospitals. These carers were mostly trained on the Mercy Ship and had been volunteers on the ship when it was in port. However, their greatest wish is to have further training in this field of work.  Janet was able to share valuable information with them with her experience which reflected much of the challenge they all face. A future collaboration between the two countries was established.

and then a farewell to Togo and our wonderful and generous hosts:

Sylvinyo working in Palliative care, who is also concerned with          She provided us with nourishing and beautifully prepared meals. Her sensitive care and selfless, humble attitude was most evident.

Hombe, who has trained in Law and now works for an organisation dealing with Human Rights for children and youth, from abuse to neglect and crime. Much of the work includes the prevention of trafficking where children are taken out of the country to work as cheap enslaved labour.  Hombe prepares and establishes programmes to support and teach children and help form proper relationships between adult and child.

The photos were not downloaded yet from my phone which was stolen last night, INCLUDING OVER 30 INTERVIEWS. Thought they were safest on the phone - SILLY ME!!!!!

TOGO

Togo is another beautiful country with hospitable and generous people. We are received in a courteous and friendly manner.
A visit to "Avenir" took us into the country which was very beautiful, MUCH fruit - coconuts, mangoes, bananas, mandarins, pineapples, passion fruit and palm trees everywhere.
"Avenir" is a home for orphans where about 40 children are housed and cared for. The grounds were well cared for with beautiful gardens and buildings. After meeting the Director and staff, touring the grounds and buildings, we went out to the farm which grows organic vegetables for the centre as well as Cocoa, coffee and palm trees to support the centre.  Sponsors are found to give the children the necessary care and education and once the children are too old for the home-care, continue to support the child/youth until they have the necessary skills to be independent. At present they care for over 400 youth. There were a number of voluntary workers mostly from France.
Hombe, our host, works with children who have been abused, abandoned or in trouble and his strong impulse is Human Rights. He prepares programmes to meet the child and the Youth. He is another YALI member from the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
Sylvia, with whom we are staying, takes care of people who are terminally ill, going from home to home. She also works on the Mercy Ship when it is in port in Lome. She spoke of the thousands of people who have been treated and helped on the Mercy Ship.
A colleague of Hombe, Jacques, spoke of the work he does to protect girls who are used for child marriage, trafficking and taken into religious institutions until of age for marriage but receive no education.
We visited a group of people who uphold Human Rights in law, politics as well as humanity. Here the centre was named after our dear Nelson Mandela and his pictures were placed overlooking the halls and meeting rooms.
We also visited a beautiful placed Organic Shop on the river and met the owner who is promoting Organic produce and Organic farming. He will tell the farmer"s forum of IPMT.
Wherever we go there is a sincere interest in IPMT and questions about the teachings of Rudolf Steiner - with a positive response and interest.,
Now to a children care centre and then to a hospital to visit nurses who care for the terminally ill.
All in a days work!!!!!!!