Finally found some internet!!

So...I made it safely to Freetown and have started to settle in.

Week one was training based at the VSO office. There were 11 of us all starting at the same time. Three from UK, two from Holland,

The training was great and the other volunteers are lovely. Only four of us are staying in Freetown - but at least that means I've got seven contacts around the rest of the country when i start travelling around with work.

Work - that started this week. Health for All Coalition is a hugely active and ambitious civil society NGO, whose many responsibilities include monitoring the delivery of the new Free Health Care initiative (launched April this year), and lobbying the Government for an increase in the health care budget (from 11% of the National Revenue, to 15%). This week has been my orientation week. So far i have visited three hospitals, met with UNICEF and Handicap International, and worked on a funding proposal. On Friday I'm hoping to head 'up-county' to visit one of the coalitions regional offices in Kono - also known as mining country. Should be interesting. Not bad for my first week!! And I've not officially started yet!!

The coalition i also hoping to get Internet set up in the office next week (I'm writing this from the VSO office). Hopefully when that's set up it will be easier to stay in touch!

I'll leave you with a list of words that I'm needing to redefine as i adjust to life away from the UK:

• rain - i had no idea what rain was like until i came here. The thunder actually shakes the bed and the streets (and one time our house) flood with the onslaught of water.
• sound system - every few meters there seems to be a giant sound system that wouldn't look out of place at Glastonbury.
• traffic - OMG, the infrastructure of Freetown was not built for the population of Freetown!!!
• Manchester United fan - I'm surrounded by them!!! Everyone seems to support Man U with a passion that would beat even Sir Alex.

Hopefully be back in touch soon! Love you all and miss you lots,

Freya xx

Departure day!

Well - this is it. In just under two hours I'm heading to Freetown (well Heathrow first - then on to Freetown). As I write this i can hear my family downstairs in the kitchen brewing coffee and toasting crumpets for my last English breakfast for a year!!

It's been an amazing week. Lots of exciting purchases and emotional goodbyes (with an annoying three hour exam thrown in for good measure). Getting ready to leave has made me incredibly aware of all the amazing people I'm going to miss soooooo much while I'm away. My final task before forcing the zipper closed on my insanely large bag, was to fill all the gaps between the sunscreen bottles with photographs of all my brilliant family and friends.

If you're reading this blog - the chances are I'll have a photo of you on my Freetown wall!!

Right - crumpets are ready so breakfast calls. Next time i type I'll be in Sierra Leone.

Going to miss you all A LOT!!

Freya

xxx

10 days to go...

The count down has officially begun!

In 10 days time I will be saying goodbye to everything I know, and saying hello to a hell of a lot of things I know nothing about.

Daunting? - Extremely!
Exciting? - Definitely!
Fully prepared and totally packed? - Ummmm, no...not really.

With all the vital visas and vaccinations sorted, I find myself worryingly preoccupied with foolish yet pressing questions:

• How much sunscreen is too much sunscreen?
• Exactly how much toothpaste do I use in a year?
• Is Marmite a luxury item - or something i can't live without?
• Is there such a thing as too much sunscreen?
• Oh my God, how much is all this sunscreen going to cost me?

One more day at work - and then eight days to dedicate myself to finding the answers to at least some of these questions.