The primary objective of my visit this time has been to progress our need for land on which to build the houses. The original land promised was withdrawn and this is a challenging place to get the permissions and ownership needed to build on. Over the last week, Ian and I have met community leaders, The Mayor of Freetown, a…

The words of Magnes Coker, deputy head of the Sierra Leone Housing Corporation as he spoke of the difficulties Ebola has brought to this nation. Teachers not at school are not being paid – how do they feed their families and cover their rent (which you have to pay a year in advance here)? Children have lost a year of…

It is hard to explain how difficult it is to get things done here. Ian and I started out with great hopes for what we might get done today. Here are 2 things that could be simple I wanted to connect to the internet. I went to Africel – provider with lots of advertising all over town. They have run…

When you watch the UK news you might think Sierra Leone is plastered with men and women in bright yellow suits carrying patients and dead bodies around. After 48 hours in country the only sign of Ebola I have seen is the many signs saying we are fighting it. The inconsistent approach throughout town is very noticeable. Some shops and…

To fly to a country where the only news for 8 months has been about death from the Ebola virus means you have to think carefully before you go. Family and friends are concerned. In truth it is hard to know how to prepare. Reading the websites and understanding transmission is key and it will be odd heading to a…

On Wednesday 11 February, I am flying to Sierra Leone via Morocco where I will join Ian, Abs, Moses and Andrew in our hunt for land.  Ian left me plenty of things to bring so have room for a pair of “undies” and a T shirt alongside all sorts of car parts to fix the car.  The turn round from Cambodia is…