Sunday, February 27, 2011

Blink Eight

Is Liberia the toughest place to be a midwife?

Interesting piece looking at the similarities between Ugandan child soldiers and kids caught up in Northern Ireland Troubles.

Mercy Ships are on their way to Sierra Leone again.

Why is life expectancy in Sierra Leone just 40 years?

How is the Ivorian crises affecting the economies of its neighbours?

Liberian refugees still in Ghana.

Charles Taylor on trial - A Warlord's Last Chance.

Criminal justice in West Africa - Liberia's Forgotten Prisoners.

Sierra Leonean version of Akon's "Mama Africa" - Mama Salone!

Friday, February 18, 2011

My Friend Laura

Whenever I first went to Sierra Leone in 2008 I spent the first two months of my fourteen month stint serving as part of that summer's Global Intern program. That program was led by two Floridians who would become good friends of mine, Scott and Laura. Laura joined Children of the Nations as a staff writer shortly after this trip and it has been great to work with her as she seeks to tell our children's stories.

She's been popping up on-line of late and so I thought I would introduce you...

First up, here is a video of that 2008 Internship we both shared. Magnificent photographs taken by her now husband, Scott.

Sierra Leone Summer from Laura Brost Cook on Vimeo.


Some more great images, this time taken in Malawi and Uganda.

A Writing Trip with Children of the Nations from Laura Brost Cook on Vimeo.


And finally here is an interview she recently gave - offers some pretty good insights in to what Children of the Nations is all about!



For more on what Children of the Nations does check out the website.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

GO on the mission...

I've gotten really lucky over the last few years. As teams and groups interning with Children of the Nations in Sierra Leone have come and gone I have met some really fantastic people and have more often than not had the genuine privilege of watching them fall in love with the family. It's always exciting to see what happens when those people head home and they share what they love with their friends and family, they sponsor kids, they package meals, they host fund-raisers, they volunteer and occasionally they plan another trip.

This year we are going to have two teams led by people who interned last year, two teams led by team members from last year and the year before, and a consultant who first came with a team about two years ago. Oh, and we'll also have a team led by a returning leader from last year and another led by someone who came with a team about 2 and a half years ago. I'm telling you, it's that kind of place.

Last spring I got even more lucky than usual when I got to share an intern team with Uncle Muche and Aunty Short. Having gotten engaged shortly before they came, the trip was a really special time for both of them. They got married in the autumn and dates of trips actually paid off for me for once and I made it to their wonderful, TOMS sponsored nuptials...although I did turn up late...something you don't want to do at an American wedding (blink and you miss most of them!). I was really excited to hear that they were planning on leading a team this December and even more so when I saw this little video they have made to encourage people to join them.

Muche, Pato awaits. Short, go and zumba the life in to the place again.

The rest of you? Check out Children of the Nations and go on the mission yourself...

"Motorboat!"

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Blink Seven


Stories from West Africa you may have missed...

Charles Taylor's trial is coming to a messy end.

The Economist looks in to the "heart men" of Liberia.

I cannot be certain if this is the Kanga that I know or not. If it is, we have kids from this village in our school. If it's not, it's not far away. Details of life in rural Sierra Leone.

News of immunisations for Ivorian refugees in Liberia.

A piece on one of the latest efforts to reduce maternal mortality in Liberia.

Human Rights Watch accesses Sierra Leone and Liberia.

What can Africa learn from Asia about growing rice?

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