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Chance Meeting Feeds A Village

1/18/2015

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     On Friday, January 9th, there was a very special event in the village, a celebration of thanksgiving for safety from Ebola.  It was made possible by generosity from an unexpected and very interesting source.
     This story actually starts on December 14th, when our family went to a local diner to eat after the girls had performed in "The Nutcracker".  As we were going inside, we noticed a van near the door covered with eye-catching and beautiful graphics related to fighting ALS (remember the Ice Bucket Challenge?) and mentioning something called the Inspire Media Network.  Near our table as we ate was a family in which the father had ALS -- he was in a wheelchair and his wife fed him, but he was enjoying himself and in every other way quite normal, a handsome fellow with a lovely wife and daughter.
     When they had finished their meal, the wife came over to us.  She laid a hundred-dollar bill on the table and said, "My husband Chris has ALS and he's decided he wants to devote the rest of his life to spreading kindness in the world.  He would like each of your daughters to take $50 and use it to do something kind, and then tell us about what they did.  Would they be willing to do that?"  Cate and Anna said "Sure!" and we sent them over to thank Chris.  Later, we talked about what they might do with the money, and before long, the village came up as a possibility.  We decided that I would talk to Fodei and see if there was a way to do something for the children of the village.
     Fodei and I talked a few days later, and after he discussed it with some others in the village, he recommended the thanksgiving celebration, with special focus on the children.  The money would be used to buy enough rice to feed the whole village, and there would be cookies and chocolates for the smaller children, a rare treat.  The school uniforms we were already planning to give to the older children could be given that day as well.  The girls agreed that this would be a good use of the money, and the date was set.  We wired the money to Fodei and he purchased everything.
     As Fodei told me later, on the day of the celebration, the whole town gathered early in the morning at the barrie, an open, roofed meeting space.  Fodei and Munir each talked to the crowd about the purpose of the event, and about Chris and his desire to spread kindness in the world.  Then the food was divided among everyone, and the women went to their fires to cook it.  After all was prepared, everyone went to Friday prayers, and then, everyone gathered once more in the barrie.  They were joined by visitors from other nearby villages as well.  There were Christians and Muslims from various sects. The Imams read passages from the Q'uran about kindness and generosity towards others.  Then the small children were called to the front to receive their treats and their share of the food, followed by the older children.  Gradually, the food was shared with everyone, and they all celebrated together.  Some of the schoolchildren had made signs thanking Chris, so they could be shared with him in pictures via e-mail.
     We are all looking forward to seeing those pictures.  I'm sure there are more details from the day that haven't been shared yet, as well.  We will forward those to Chris and his family.  His ability to turn his focus toward others, and create opportunities for them, in the face of his own monumental challenge, is indeed inspiring.
     The coda to this is that Chris wants to get kids to submit a three-minute video telling what they would do with $50 to spread kindness, and then have them make another short video about what they did, as a way to inspire others and show how much can be done with a relatively modest sum.  He asked Cate and Anna to help make the introductory video.  So they got to talk about what went on in the village and also do a spot inviting other kids to participate.  They had a wonderful time, and it will be fun to see the finished version. SC
     To learn more about Chris Rosati and his projects, visit inspiremedianetwork.org .
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Increased Donors Leads to Increased Vigilance, Protection 

1/17/2015

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     So much is going on now! -- both in Sierra Leone and here.   Ebola remains in check in Tunkia Chiefdom and Kenema District, and this enables everyone to continue with their harvesting (which has now moved from upland rice to swamp rice) and community projects. There are a few signs that the virus is coming under slightly better control in some other parts of the country, and supplies are finally starting to trickle into those areas, but conditions in many of the treatment centers remain makeshift and generally appalling.  And the deaths continue.  One that hit especially hard this week was the nephew of a friend who now lives in Durham.  He was an ambulance driver, transporting patients from the Koidu area to the treatment center in Kenema.  He leaves behind 7 children.      
     The outreach teams are beginning their next round of visits to the surrounding villages, thanks to some recent donors.  They will re-emphasize vigilance, add more education on basic hygiene such as hand-washing, and talk about the importance of not stigmatizing those who have survived. The point at which Ebola truly begins to wane will be one of the most dangerous times for them, as travel restrictions are loosened and people begin to move about the country more.  It will be very easy for one infected person to start a whole new round of cases in a new area, so added vigilance will be essential.  One of Fodei's insights for these visits was the importance of bringing something concrete to share with the villagers, to set the right tone from the beginning: we are here to help you, not to get something from you.  Last time it was rice; this time it will be soap.  This will dovetail with the emphasis on hand-washing.
     It is now dry season, and all 8 of the villages building houses this year, including new additions Giewahun and Jombohun, are making bricks (mud blocks) in preparation for construction.  Fodei has purchased a large supply of metal roofing to save money, since it becomes more expensive as building season progresses.  The building that was being used to store all the materials in Gbeworbu was suddenly needed by the town for other purposes, though, so Fodei coordinated the quick construction of a new building-materials storehouse, to be roofed last week.
     Munir has proposed adding an animal husbandry project this year.  This would involve buying a few goats, building a shelter for them, and enclosing a small area with barbed wire.  It would be located in the palm grove, where they could roam free during the day and help keep the grass and underbrush under control.  He is researching the associated costs.  Goats are used at times in the village for meat when there is an occasion that calls for a sacrifice.  The nanny goats might be milked; that's not clear yet.
     Closer to home, on Monday we had a great time meeting with the Elders for Peace group at Carol Woods Retirement Community to tell them about the village and the work being done there.  They were extremely warm and welcoming, and had many excellent questions.  What a dynamic bunch!  Former state Senator Ellie Kinnaird introduced us and added her insights along the way.  Daughter Anna (10 yrs.) joined Braima and me for the presentation, and kicked it off with her own thoughts on the organization and what it does.  Braima was, as always, a charismatic and  effective communicator.  Anna modeled one of her African dresses.  It was a very satisfying and worthwhile endeavor, our first presentation to an outside group.  We learned plenty for next time, too.                                         
                                                                                                                                                                    S.C.
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    Authors:

    SC (Steve Cameron) Founder Former Peace Corps Volunteer, Father

    BM (Braima Moiwoi)
    Co-Founder, artist, story-teller, Native Leonean

    DAG (Daniel Green) Advancement Officer, Grant Writer, Relations

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