Branching out!

Will and I started an after school football competition today.  We put up a notice about it and talked to all the classes and we were quite shocked when it came to the first session to find that 150 had signed up!

It was mad!  Sierra Leoneans love football like no-one else and they take it more seriously than anyone else too!  There were no fights but it seemed like it might come close.  We had to stop one match but in general it went really well.

We tried to get the girls involved but that is quite a new idea in Sierra Leone - girl footballers. We have four teams of girls though so we have decided to have a girls' league separately from the boys.  The boys are too rough by far.  

I am knackered now but it was great fun.

I don't think we will give up the day job though!

a day in school

I saw this video on YouTube from December 2007 and thought it might be of interest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26JaowQRi6A

hair update!

I keep getting messages about putting photos up on the blog of me doing stuff here, so everyone can believe I am really here!

So..... here it is. This is me with Jimiyke [my most diligent and enthusiastic student!] in the IT room. As you can see the hair is coming back gradually. In fact while I am here it is quite convenient because of the heat, but I don't think I will be doing it again like that in a hurry! Unless anyone pays me of course!

Will, some friends and I have just finished putting a short fundraising film together. To view it, simply click on this link (if your computer doesn't have Quicktime, you will be prompted to download it - don't worry, it's safe) http://www.schedule2.com/educaid/educaid.mov

the day to day ups and downs.........

Pictures of Number 2 River and beach and........... the EducAid kitchen!

Had a great weekend away at the beach last weekend for half term. Fantastic beach but not really available to most Sierra Leoneans as it is quite expensive. We couldn’t stay as long as we wanted to for that reason but it was great while it lasted. It will make swimming in the cold grey English sea not seem the treat it once was!

Now back at the office…….the multitude of viruses that we managed to get onto all the computers while downloading the network software have now been cleared and we have the firewalls up and running again. It does seem like an endless battle.

Proper IT classes started again yesterday!

Meanwhile the day-to-day challenges carry on – I still can’t eat the pepper sauce that goes on everything! So I am living on bread and pasta. I’m going to look like a packet of spaghetti soon.

We are working hard on the visa for Jimiyke now. He has finished his exams and knows what the score is. Because of his condition, he has been living up with us so I have really got to know him. I am teaching him to use the computer and telling him about life in the UK. We are really desperate for him to get the visa. It would be terrible if he doesn’t. We have submitted the online application and are just collecting the support documents from the doctors etc for his interview on 15th June.