YAMS FARM WHARF

OKAY I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY...........

THIS IS MY FIRST BLOG THAT I HAVE WRITTEN IN AFRICA AND THE FIRST CHANCE I HAVE HAD TO REALLY SIT AND RELAX SINCE I GOT HERE!!! I HAVE BEEN STAYING IN A PLACE CALLED JEWWEY ROAD AND WORKING BUILDING A SCHOOL IN A SMALL AFRICAN COMMUNITY CALLED YAMS FARM WHARF. THE FIRST DAY WE ARRIVED THERE, WE WERE MOBBED BY HUNDREDS OF KIDS SCREAMING "ELLO, ELLO, OPOTU" WHICH MEANS " HELLO, HELLO, WHITE MAN." WE ALL FELT LIKE ROCK STARS, IT WAS OVERWHELMING. THE POVERTY IS UNREAL HERE. THESE PEOPLE LIVE ON A DOLLAR OR LESS A DAY. THEY LIVE IN LITTLE SAND BLOCK DIRT FLOOR SHACKS WITH TIN ROOFS, NO POWER AND LITTLE OR NOW FURNITURE. THEY COOK CASSAVA ROOTS AND LEAVES WITH PEPPERS AND RICE. PROTEINS CONSIST OF FISH AND CHICKEN AND PEANUTS. THERE IS NO RUNNING WATER OR ELECTRICITY. THE SCHOOL HOUSE IS THE ONLY REAL STRUCTURE IN THE COMMUNITY, IT IS ONE ROOM WITH A DIRT FLOOR AND ABOUT THREE HUNDRED CHILDREN OF ALL AGES. WE ARE HERE TO BUILD SIX MORE CLASSROOMS SO THESE KIDS CAN FIT AND HAVE SPACE TO BETTER THERE EDUCATION. WE BROUGHT A MAP OF THE WORLD AND ALL OF THE CHILDREN HAD NEVER SEEN ONE!! THEY NEVER KNEW THERE WAS ANYTHING OUT THERE OTHER THAN FREETOWN. EVEN THE TEACHERS WERE FINDING IT HARD TO LOCATE OTHER COUNTRIES........WOW!!! I HAVE SEEN SO MANY THINGS SINCE COMING TO AFRICA THAT HAVE BLOWN MY MIND IT IS HARD TO FIT IT ALL IN THIS BLOG. WE HAVE WORKED VERY HARD BUILDING THE SCHOOL, TEACHING THE CHILDREN, AND INTERACTING WITH THE PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY..................................MORE TO COME.