Day 13
Ste did the thought for the day and was clearly moved by what he has seen and how it relates to life. As a proclaimed Atheist he recognised how compassion cuts across all belief systems. Breakfast and off to Lifelines where I left them and went to the Council and picked up some significant information about Freetown – a 3 million Euro report that sat on the shelf is like a goldmine to me. Great to see the Dutch Planner there again and learned Comic Relief had been in town and actually held a consultation in Kroo Bay. I will contact them when home.
Then tried to get back on the internet – Airtel has a monopoly so you buy credit for the usage but whatever you don’t use in 7 days, you lose. Alison had managed to confirm flights by phone so I didn’t need to do another queue on that.
Back to meet the team and after lunch and a few chats with Lifelines guys and David and Margaret November it was time to head to waterloo Adventist hospital. The team did a quick tour but some felt very uncomfortable about being among so many patients. In the UK we like our privacy whilst here the people just welcome strangers, such different ways we see the world.
We had agreed the team would paint the front of the hospital. Buttermilk top and Dove at the bottom. What a difference we made in 2 hours. All sorts of people from the community came up to thank us, some very them very effusive and emotional as amazed foreigners, and especially women would come to do this. The team really pulled together and what a great result. Then a quick photo shoot with the staff and home for an African meal, reflections and bed.