One Year Later...

It's over. Done-done, as they say in Sierra Leone. Given the rather strange twists and turns of the past year, I'm not sure whether to lament its passing or just breathe a sigh of relief. Mixed emotions, you might call it. Four friends and I gave ourselves the best farewell party in Makeni history, takin' over the hillside Scout Hall with more than 100 friends, coworkers, friends of friends, DJs, scouts, random uninvited dudes, and kids from the 'hood below.

[The banner in the photo is a reference to a very popular song in Africa called "Do Me" in case you were wondering.]













Pa Foday (left) was my neighbor. Monsignor (right) was a cleaner where I worked. I went on a little giving spree before I left, and these two share the award for best reaction to the gift. Pa Foday never asked me for anything -- a simple hello or a wave from across the compound was good enough for him. Monsignor, on the other hand, could beg with the best of them -- "Ohhh my friend, today the belly is empty!" Their happiness at the sight of a used bedsheet or a pair of beat-up shoes was good to see. I liked these two because it was clear that, regardless of their approach to seeking help, a little respect was always more important than the spare change or leftover food I might have to offer.

Mackay, Rachael and I blending together in our crisp new White-Man-Leaving-Africa gift shirts.

Last year in Sierra Leone, in one word? Unforgettable. Whether or not I did any good for the country, I don't know. But I certainly hope Sierra Leoneans can rise out of poverty one day. The government doesn't always give me much confidence. 'Paradise,' the beach bar in this photo, was demolished recently (along with many other popular bars) as part of a government "beautification" project. Read my friend Jared's story from The National.