I am sad to write that my time in Sierra Leone has come to an end and I am bringing you this final update while en route back to Canada. There is so much exciting news to share thanks to all of your generous support!
PDIA
The students and staff are officially on Christmas break. During the final week of exams, the nursery teachers experimented with colouring and drawing with the students. Pictured below are fish that the nursery 2 students created by tracing their hands. It turned out to be a very engaging and rewarding experience for all involved!
As a farewell gift to Marty and I, the teachers collaborated in having traditional Kono outfits made for us by the tailor instructor at our tec voc training institute. Green, white and blue are the colours of Sierra Leone’s flag. Given that Marty had already returned to Canada, I had one of the men involved with our agricultural training model the outfit for a picture.
The Flexigester
We required the assistance of many of the students at PDIA and PDC to use a small foot pump to inflate the 10,000 L biodigester to test for any leaks. Afterwards we filled and built sand bag walls on both ends of the digester and on the lower side of the trench to secure and protect the rubber container. Finally, we hired a carpenter to build a fence around the system to keep the animals out.
Before we open the pipe to begin filling and composting the sewage from the orphanage, our next steps are to set up the outflow pipes to drip the digestate into a compost pile and monitor any overflow and to connect the second inflow pipe to a tub where organic kitchen waste can also be washed into the digester.
Tec Voc Training
Soap-Making
We have twelve community members registered for the first three month term. We kicked off the training with preparing solid laundry soap. Palm oil was heated over a fire and left to cool overnight. A solution of caustic soda was mixed with the oil and stirred to create a paste. The paste was then rolled by hand into laundry soap balls. The locals will grate this soap into their wash when they’re ready to use it.
Students in the class will sample and sell the products that are made. The proceeds from the sales will be used to buy more of the consumable soap-making materials such as oil and soda. Over the course of the term, students will learn to make various types of soap. The students in the orphanage will participate in this training during their holidays, preparing soap for the orphanage’s use.
Tailoring
Seventeen people from the community are registered for our year-long tailoring course. This includes one of the graduated students at the orphanage who was unable to attend college this year. This group will be split into afternoon and evening weekday shifts.
All senior level students at the orphanage will continue their training on the weekends and over the school holidays. After a few weeks of training, some of the students are already mending their own clothing (left picture below) and producing products that could be sold in the market (centre picture below).
We found, cleaned and repaired a fourth machine that belongs to the orphanage but got damaged in the move to the village (right picture below). This machine will stay at the orphanage for the students to have access to continue to mend their own clothing and to keep practicing their tailoring skills.
Gardening
The watermelon and cucumber have sprouted in the garden and the cabbage and cassava have been planted. Once they get big enough, we will use chopped grasses to mulch the plants to reduce the temperature and retain moisture around the seedlings. The compost pit we filled with dried and fresh grasses and kitchen scraps is generating a lot of heat and will be ready to amend the soil in a couple of weeks when the pepper seedlings are ready to transplant.
More Amazing News!
We are so grateful and excited to announce that we have received special donations to tackle various challenges at the orphanage and school:
-we have received the funds needed to complete the tuition payments for the six PDC students currently in college and university! Inguoi [thank you]!
-we have received a donation to upgrade the solar system at the orphanage. This new system will provide enough energy to power a fridge and freezer, lights and fans. This will allow the cook to store food at the orphanage and not have to travel to the market every day. It will also provide better lighting for studying, the possibility to power a TV for occasional entertainment and fans for those extra hot days. Inguoi!
-we have received a donation to tile the main floor of the orphanage with durable ceramic tiles that will hold up better to the flow of 40 people coming and going on a regular basis. Inguoi!
-and finally, we have received a donation to purchase a new (used) school bus to better handle the challenging roads in transporting our secondary students to school in Koidu. It was very good timing – our current vehicle has fallen beyond repair. Inguoi!
Mbeh aaa neh yaami!
To express their appreciation, the children at the orphanage pooled their funds to purchase fabric to have outfits made for Marty and I (here I am pictured with the tailor instructor modelling Marty’s shirt). It was such a generous gesture and meant for all of you as well. The orphanage, the school, the community and the SLAM committee – we are all so grateful for your continued support!
Bye bye for now Sierra Leone! I hope to see you soon [Mbeh aaa neh yaami]!