One year in West Africa


On 20 June 2010, I will be heading to Freetown, Sierra Leone to take up a one year VSO placement. Working as an Advocacy Specialist for an NGO called Health For All Coalition, I will be helping to develop tools and opportunities for the health care workers of Sierra Leone, to ensure that their voice is represented and their opinions are known.


This blog will chronicle my experiences over the next 12 months...



Wednesday 30 June 2010

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

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1 comment:

  1. Emily and bump30 June 2010 at 11:44

    hi, i am going to redefine your redefining as only i can!
    rain-havnt had any apart from a little yesterday morning!
    sound system-nothing beats mummys car once incy wincy spider is playing
    traffic-i can navigate myself to the park without taking any notice of traffic
    man u-spurs are best according to the salisburys but i think its all about hockey esp if england are playing!

    thats my thoughts for the day
    xxxxx
    p.s i can say ur name clearly!

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