Day 3 – Monday. Most of the children return to school but with some awaiting exams at the end of the week we still had many willing helpers around the centre. With a rain free morning Mark was able to train and oversee the re-roofing of one of our homes, whilst I lead the paint team to freshen up the houses. More stones, sand and cement arrived as hand made bricks are prepared for the kitchen.
There is a constant hum of activity; the kids launder their clothes, kadiatu the head girl makes local donuts, others catch a nap in the shade, more seedlings arrive, Aunty haja is usually singing or laughing, Tolo our manager always doing something. Its a real, vibrant, ever flowing community here. Harmonious and wonderful!
We finish painting in the afternoon downpour to the sounds of Sierra Leonean music i introduce to the kids. They translate one song to me and tell me how it’s about how they want to sell their belly as it’s too expensive to feed it! The evening meeting with the staff is based on that very issue. Food prices are a real issue here so I learn about every meal, cost and ingredient in a mission to help find healthier and more effective ways of feeding the kids. We will get there but it’s not easy!
