Latest from Freetown - Week 3

13 September 2011 Filed in: Sierra Leone | Extra Mile | Update | Volunteer

Greetings from a humid and troublesome Sierra Leone with car problems, garden wildlife and a palaver in Bo.

A very rough drive to Baw Baw through red, mud torrents and across places where the road used to be. Sadly the village suffered two deaths the previous week, one natural, the other not quite, so as we pass through we pay our respects to bereaving relatives and leave a small gift.

On arrival at the cottage garden is now full of flowers and between showers a succession of tiny, turquoise butterflies hover over the blooms. A very shy family of small monkeys feeds on the trees but are soon gone.

Returning to Goderich the following day, a puncture. The spare was illegal and flat so we had to send a local lad on an ocado (motorbike), with wheel on his lap to get repaired. A big snag was that we couldn’t find the key to the locking wheelnut so could not remove the punctured wheel. A big hammer and chisel from a passing friend solved the problem. Sadly the new tyre bought to replace the illegal one deflated overnight so its back to the dealer!

Have a fantastic week and best wishes from Sierra Leone.
Mike.

Extra Mile

Extra Mile is a UK registered Charity helping to bring education to the street children of war-torn Sierra Leone. Its ten year mission is to recruit volunteers to teach in English-speaking schools, help train its teachers and open its own ‘free’ school.

Charlotta's Experience

Short Term Volunteer Options
We can often arrange placements as short as 1 week. Short term placements are often perfect to fit within shorter holidays, career breaks or even as a taster for further volunteering experiences. Short term placements are a significant source of skills and time which can significantly benefit our participating schools. Even if you are currently working, at high-school or university or a recent graduate you can probably still participate in our project.

Professional Volunteering Opportunities for Teachers
We specialize in taking your skills as experienced educators and creating appropriate placements. We devise Sierra Leone based volunteer work in schools and institutes around Freetown.
Group Volunteering Trips Abroad
Group volunteering trips are available for school and university students over the fall, summer, spring break, or winter break. Contact us for more information on these trips.