Last days in the village

This was my last day in my village : ( .  I am very sad to go.  The Sierra Leonean people are the KINDEST people I have ever met. 

During my last days in Gobaru, those people who we referred to be checked by a doctor due to too high blood sugar or blood pressure readings during our screenings, are returning to us for help not only with diet guidelines, but also for help getting prescription meds that are too costly for them.  We had a supply of meds donated to us and were able to dispense these.  Judith, our leader, as a health professional, was able to advise the people with concerns.

I took advantage of my last weekend and evenings of free time to explore some more. 

Me on a stick bridge as I cross a river while walking through the bush (the jungle) in between villages In the evenings I walk to other villages with my friends. This day I walked 5 miles just exploring.  I am wearing a traditional lappa skirt.

I got some of my friends in the village to climb the coconut tree and I am drinking the yummy sweet water. Very Refreshing on such a hot day!

The kids took me on a long walk through this HUGE garden that had a small path. We must have walked a mile and a half then we got to a rubber plantation; finally, they took me down this stiff incline to the River.

This is a picture of the kids resting on a rock in the Wanji River.

Me and my Friend Sandy climbing a Cacao Tree. The fruit is so sweet--the seeds are used to make chocolate.

Cacao Fruit, the one I got from the tree.

I'm in the Southern Province capitol, Bo, today.  It has been pouring rain for the past 2 days. The rainy season begins in May and lasts until November. I am starting to feel ill but I am sure it's nothing major... just a headache and a nauseous tummy. Tomorrow I leave for Freetown.  More adventures!

Testing 1-2-3

Hello all,

It is very hard to find an internet connection and if I do find internet, it costs a pretty penny!

Two days ago, I offered diabetes and blood pressure screenings to the village of Gbaru, where I am staying. We screened 71 people from ages 18 to 100 years.  Our event was exciting for the village and the people were very responsive to the information we provided them. 

I recorded patients information, such as height, age, sex, etc.  The Peace Corps volunteer stationed in Gbaru, Solomon Lin, was an EMT in the States, so he administered the tests and I assisted. We began testing at 4:30 pm and continued until 8:30 pm.  Since there is no electricity here in Gbaru, as it grew darker, we had to resort to administering the tests by torch light (flashlight). 

Kendra measuring heights at Gbaru.

                                             Solomon Lin, PCV, administering glucose test.

The following day we did follow up testing for those who had high blood pressure or blood glucose levels. We encouraged several of them to go to the near by hospital to seek further medical care from a doctor. 

Judith Lahai giving follow-up info on test results.

We plan to continue to test, as we have 28 test kits remaining. I also plan to meet with secondary school students to discuss the village population's test results and how a nutrionally balanced diet can improve the village people's health. 

In my free time, I've been exploring other nearby villages.  Houses in the villages are either mud-walled or cement buildings with very thick walls for cooling. They have only a central living room and bedrooms on either side.  Kitchens and bath/restrooms are in separate buildings behind the main house.  The roofs are high for cooling and of corrugated tin or thatched. In medium and large villages, there is a market where farmers wives and children sell rice, vegetables, fruits, palm and groundnut oils, groundnut paste and more. And a courthouse where village elders hear and settle palavers (arguments) and the people can meet for events or discussions.  There may be a primary school, a mosque, a church and some shops also.  

In Gbaru, I stay at a "big man's" house which is outfitted with a generator that is run for about 3 hours each night. Students are drawn to this one lighted house to study. Primary school students come asking me to read to them. Secondary school students come for help with preparing for final exams. One student asked for help with Maths (with an S), but I only know how to solve the problem she had by using a calculator and there are no calculators in the schools or the village. Embarassing!

The kids I read to have been teaching me how to dance. Oh, and one of my friends braided my hair. I will try to post several pictures next Tuesday or Wednesday. 

Life in the village

Hello everyone,

I know it has been a while but the village where I am staying at does not have internet.

I walked almost 2 miles to the next village to get access to the internet to send this post. I have a lot of photos but I cannot post them until Saturday. (My mom, as a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone '73-'76, has access to recent photos taken by former volunteers visiting here this summer and will post a few here today. Like this one --this is how a walk on the road to another village looks.)

I have met with a local doctor and we will start doing diabetes and cholesterol screening on Monday. With permission, I will also start going to villages to talk about diabetes, high cholesterol and stroke prevention. I have met several Peace Corp Volunteers who are stationed in villages around mine and they have informed me that there is very little knowledge about strokes in this community. So with the help of my leader I have added this to my program so I can be more helpful toward meeting needs in this community.

I have made several friends, especially the little children! They always chase after me when ever I am walking around. The kids here gave me a local name--they call me Kona. A few days ago I walked a half mile to pump some water from the village well and carried it back to my house on my head, along with other women and children. It is very hard work and it strains your neck.  I am learning to speak a little of the local language which is Mende. "Bua.  Bisse.  Bisse weh?  Bo bi gohwen?"

  

As I visit schools, I have been giving out a few soccer balls I brought for kids to play with. I have never seen kids so happy and excited! (This photo was taken about 2 weeks ago, in another village, by a former PC Volunteer when he gave a soccer ball to the students at the school in his village.  Just a soccer ball.)

Yesterday I went to an all-girls high school and talked to the the girls to encourage and motivate them to stay in school and work hard. Teenage pregnancy is a problem in this community.

Well, I must go.  I have my 2 mile walk back.  I'll be posting more stories on Saturday!

Arrival in Sierra Leone

How de bodi? (How are you?)  I made it to Sierra Leone yesterday evening and the President of Sierra Leone was on my flight into Freetown!

This morning I woke up to the beautiful view of the ocean. I explored a traditional Sierra Leone backyard garden which consists of yams, cassava leaves and ground nuts (peanuts) and mango and avocado trees. After a morning of exploring I took my first bucket bath shower (one bucket of water only).  It has truly made me appreciate a shower head and unlimited water.

By noon, I left Freetown.  I took a 3 hour car ride down Kenema Highway to Bo, which is the capital of Southern Province. Immediately after arriving in Bo, I went to the open-air central market to buy fabric and food. It's pretty overwhelming and crowded.  People negotiating prices, while young boys and girls walk around with buckets or plates filled with smoked fish, fruits or vegetables they are displaying for sale. Bargaining with the sellers was a rush of excitement. Why can't we bargain for clothes and food in America?

When I got back to the house I am staying at, I sat down and ate a traditional Sierra Leone dinner of cassava leaf rice chop (cassava leaf stew on top of rice). To finish this yummy meal I had cakes puffs, which are like puffy pancakes. When I was done, I walked to the tailor where I chose a style from a book with millions of designs for skirts and tops. And now I am relaxing on a veranda (porch) while I listen to the sounds of thunder in the near distance. It’s rainy season.  The storms blow out to sea and cross the Atlantic to become our hurricanes.

Tomorrow I have to be up early to drive on to Pujehun, where I will stay for the next week. In Pujehun I will visit schools and teach students about the different food groups and the importance to the body of  portions from each group daily. We will also be working with a hospital staff in doing screening for diabetes. For those who are diagnosed with diabetes, we will have a class to educate those people on how to eat to lower their blood glucose levels.  We’ll also discuss ways to prevent diabetes from developing in family members and friends. 

The Countdown Begins!

I depart in a few days for Sierra Leone, West Africa and boy I could not be more excited.  In preparation, I have been given A LOT of advice on what to expect and how to stay safe and healthy. Lucky for me I grew up in the Sierra Leonean Community in Houston, surrounded by the beautiful clothing and artifacts displayed in my house and those of my “aunties”. My parents have told me stories of their adventures in Sierra Leone, where they served in the Peace Corps and met and got married. Growing up, all I ever dreamed of was traveling overseas to explore this amazing country I have heard so much about.

                Now that my dream is becoming a reality, I could not be more excited.  My journey could not have been possible without the support of the non-profit The Family Empowerment Services, all the generous donations from my friends and family, and the will of God.  While in Sierra Leone I will be near a town called Bo, capital of the Southern Province.  While in this region, I plan to work with women in the community to explain the importance of a balanced diet and create guideline. There, the typical diet consists mainly of Carbohydrates. I have worked with one of my Nutrition Professors at UT to identify locally grown and affordable substitutes that can be consumed to help people include more protein and healthy fats in their diet. But the education doesn’t stop there.  I will also be assisting in administering blood glucose testing and cholesterol testing. The region I am going to is experiencing a growing epidemic of type II diabetes in the population and I hope with assistance of my professors and host country supervisors we can reverse this trend.