the village called Mapaki

We travelled to the northern province yesterday to visit the Paramount Chief of Mapaki and give him much needed medicines. The village hosts 3000 inhabitants who have worked very hard to rebuild their devestated village following the removal of the rebels. Upon our arrival we were greeted by the women and men in the village dancing, singing, and celebrating our arrival (though my first thought was that we were interupting a celebration until i realized it was our coming that they were celebrating!) This beautiful village is one of the poorest villages in the poorest province in one of the poorest countries in the world. Of 3000 members more than 2000 are suffering from TB (tuberclerosis), and many are losing they vision to what they call river blindness. They have rebuilt their medical clinic, yet it sits empty, there are no beds, no electricity, limited clean water, one nurse, & no medical supplies (except the suitcase full we brought). If a member of their community nees to go to the hospital they are carried in a makeshift hammock 6 miles to the next major village where they can then get a ride 35miles to the hospital in the main town of Makeni. They are blessed with a very progressive chief who does his best to look after his people and not just himself. The chief has asked us to procure their village a vehicle (which i will find a way to do) so they may treat transport their sick in a humanely manner...these are people whose lives deseve at the very least to be treated as such. Besides a vehicle they desperatly need beds for their sick who must lay on the ground in an empty room - even women must give birth on the ground - a disadvantage no person should have to bear.
Upon leaving this village i know i am to return at a later date and work with the healers and nurse in this village - this is what i came for. The Cheif has invited me back to work with his healers and my heart cannot refuse. I am a healer and know my presence alone will lift the spirits of these people whom the world seems to have forgotten...we are hope to these people who have sufferred in ways many cannot even imagine...and I will answer Spirits call and offer myself to them - it is the very least i can do. MANYBLESSINGS*****

a piece of paradise

Where does one begin to explain a place that seems a thousand worlds away? As I sit here watching people, cars, motorbikes, and chickens stroll up and down what would barely pass as a road by western standards, I can’t help but feel as though I’ve stumbled across a piece of undiscovered paradise. The beauty of the land…mango & banana trees, untouched beaches, and the most beautiful people I have ever seen makes Freetown’s potential enormous! These are Freetown’s gifts, but there are many challenges. One only has to get off the plane and journey into the airport (which looks more like a small town bus depot – despite the fact it is an international airport servicing a city of 1 million) to understand this country needs development. The war is over and the rebuilding has begun, the people are looking to their future, they are not living in the past…yet the city is still without a stable source of electricity, water is not always running, and there are far more people here than what the infrastructure can accommodate. Unemployment is high, pay is low, and change is slow. This city, this country needs to be able to support itself…as the NRA (national revenue agency) slogan goes…’independence, means no dependence’(although this slogan is meant to get people to pay their taxes). Sierra Leone is ready to join the world, isolation has been too long and its time for the people of Sierra Leone to manage themselves and show the world the true beauty they posses.
One of my primary objectives here is to see that the people of S.L. have an opportunity to receive computer training because as we all know computers and the internet are freedom in this world and to be without those skills means isolation. However many challenges face this objective, computers are expensive which is why we have been working very hard through a program called ‘Computers for Schools – Sierra Leone’ to provide institutions computers for free. (for more info please refer to the IPSI link on this page) Our first placement of 200 computers – from Canada – was very well received and we have been successful in placing them in various schools across the country (primarily in teachers colleges as teachers must know how to use computers in order to teach their students about them) unfortunately due to the lack of electricity these institutions are still without the adequate means to power the computer (our next phase – to find donors who can help us provide generators so these schools may be equipped to run the computers) We have received very positive feedback from the government here and support for our project is strong, however resources are still scarce.
Education is everything, it is empowerment, it is the opportunity to fulfill potential…a potential this paradise is ready to step into.

to relax my mind so i can be free...

for all my relations,
all of you whose spirit i carry, whose essence i have osmossed, whose gifts i have recieved...thank you for being your best you **** golden birds****spiritual warriors****fellow soul rebels********

many blessings onelove****

wow did someone say sierra leone?

here i go...my very first blog. i'd have to say in a perfect world i would have someone doing this computer stuff for me - my vision for what i would like to create far surpasses my skills at creating it, oh well one day...(by the way any hints, tips, or anything to make this as easy as possible is greatly appreciated)

Countdown...departure time to Sierra Leone - 13 more sleeps...i can't say that i'm overly anxious or nervous, rather it feels like a natural progression, to be honest i think my spirit is in Freetown already - my body just needs to catch up!****I'm down to taking my last immunization tonight (this carbonated raspberry tasting stuff that is suppose to prevent cholera & travelers diarrhea- lets hope!) i have yet to form an opinion on whether or not i believe in immunizations - my real curiosity lies in the claim that if they are soooo necessary for me why not for the people of Sierra Leone? Now I don't need anyone to explain to me the *Politics of it - misdirected power and a few $$$$$$ pretty much sums that up...but what i do feel is infecting myself with disease to prevent disease seems a little absurd...is this a holistic approach, like homoeopathy -you know, like treating like? maybe? hopefully one day someone with a little more knowledge on this topic will be able to enlighten me.