SL 6: Bagbo 1

We eventually made it to our first stop in Bagbo.  This is where we planned to interview two of our sponsored children... but before we could do any shooting there were the formalities.  We had to meet with the chief and the village elders to explain our objectives first... and what an experience that was.  We all gathered in the open-air meeting structure in the center of town.  Wood floors & roof with no walls. There were chairs set up for us in front and maybe 40 people squeezed on to benches across from us.  Before we began someone yelled out something in a bush language an everyone began chanting a Muslim prayer... I just assumed it was a muslim community and bowed my head respectfully waiting for them to finish when to my surprise someone yelled out “Lord’s Prayer” and they all began the Our Father in unison.  I had heard from many people before our trip hat this was a common occurrence before meetings but I had forgotten... and assumed it was more likely in the big cities, not the Bush.  Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Then a man stood up and began introducing the “important” people... the main chief and the chiefs of each chiefdom in the area... and a bunch of others that I couldn’t really understand... and then it was our turn.

Claudius introduced us in Creole and the WV rep for that village translated into the native tung.  It’s funny how quickly you catch onto Creole when you have to... he introduced me and when he explained Sam was my husband everyone cheered.  Then he described Michael as our “Papa” and again we got cheers.  It was very welcoming and wonderful.

Next it was off to meet the children at “the school”.  We walked up a path and found all the children standing outside of what seemed to be a small dilapidated school house and a second structure that looked like the frame of a building made of large sticks and branches.  They sang us a song and we took photos.  But to my surprise, when  I asked to actually see them “in school” they all picked up their benches and headed back down the path to the town center.

WV explained that the school building we were looking at couldn't be used during the rainy season (6 months out of the year which ends in November) so the children met in the town center where we had just been.  They pointed to brand new out-house bathrooms behind the building and explained that the sanitation project had already been funded an they were able to build these bathrooms.... but they were still waiting to receive the funding for the new school building (the frame I mentioned next to the old school house.  The way World Vision works, people can choose to fund certain projects.  Apparently people had chosen to fund the school-house sanitation before the school-house itself.  

So we traveled back down the path to the village center and the kids were already set up with their tables and benches reciting he alphabet.  When they began to sing their version of the ABC’s we all noticed a familiar tune... they sing the ABC’s to the tune of the New Year’s song Auld Lang Syne.

So then I met with the sponsored children.  We visited their houses. (Remember there is no power or running water in most of Sierra Leone, but especially in the bush)  The homes: Two rooms, dirt floors, one bed for the whole family... but they were very proud... and they quickly pointed out their mosquito net provided by World Vision.  The children of course were amazing and the parents were so grateful... and then we handed out toys.  Oh my gosh the looks on their faces... It was like I had changed their lives with a few small trinkets.  I can't tell you how that puts life into perspective.

Eventually it was back into the car to visit our next village and 2 more sponsored children... including Abduli, the boy Sam and I sponsor.