Home Sweet Home

“Where will you stay?” was a common inquiry (and concern) for many I told about my trip. I didn’t have the answer until day three of being in Sierra Leone. With so many unknowns, I new my mind and heart could not stress about each of them, so I leaned on the faith and promises that I would be well taken care of…and “well taken care of” is an understatement.

The first few nights on Njala campus were spent in a guest house at a section of campus called SLARI. Lexi and I shared a room with a connected bath. It was a nice little place, but too expensive for our very limited budget at Le45,000 a night (approx. $11). This may sound cheap for many American households, and it definitely does in my mind too, however, it is quite pricey here. Dorms were another option, but with students leaving in the first part of July, there was concern we may feel isolated.

So, with our voices heard, Lexi and I accepted a proposal to share a small room in the home of her coordinating professor, Dr. Koroma. While I am staying in a home considered above the level of the majority of Sierra Leoneans, I do sometimes miss the conveniences back home.

Our little “family” consists of Lexi, Dr. Koroma, Mohamed (Capu) a first year student and family friend of Dr. Koroma, and I. Dr. Koroma’s wife is currently in Freetown attending university, but hopes to join us for part of the summer. Dr. Koroma travels frequently, so we often have the house to ourselves.

Top: Our home! The porch is on the left of the house and check out the little cook shack on the right.

Bottom: This tank provides water to the house. No electricity for a pump, but at least we have a flushing toilet and do not have to carry water like many of the households here.

The small home sits on campus and is connected to a cook shack and surrounded by a garden growing a variety of yummy foods. The hospitality shown to us has been unlike anything I’ve experienced, and I will leave Sierra Leone with a new understanding of what it means to make guests welcome. Dr. Koroma left the day after we moved in, but made provisions so we would go to bed with a very full stomach each night. This led to my first friends here, Monjama and Betty, two sisters charged with keeping us fed our first week. While I am no Betty Crocker, I can fend for myself in the States, but cooking outdoors over open flame with strange ingredients (except for rice) is something I haven’t learned to tackle yet. It was with these girls I first experienced cooking in Sierra Leone…they even let me help peel an onion. (Which shows their lack of confidence in my abilities).

Cassava growing in the garden. The tubers can be prepared in a variety of ways, and cooked cassava leaves over rice are a favorite here.

One of my favorite features of this home is the porch. It always offers a breeze and is great venue to chat with neighbors, friends and random people who just feel like stopping by. I love the slow pace and unexpected visitors who always have time for a conversation. When the language barrier gets in the way, or we run out of things to discuss, silence is perfectly fine…THAT was, or I should say still is, a little difficult to get used to. It was on this porch I met the gardener and her sweet children. Soona speaks some English, but has helped me with Mende. She has a daughter who I only met once, a son (Karim) who visits often, and a 4-month-old baby girl (Asi). Karim doesn’t speak any English, so it was challenging and fun figuring out a way to communicate. Asi is happy all the time…all I have to do is smile at her and she smiles back. Soona has finished planting the cassava (a tuber) and groundnuts (peanuts) so I see her less often, but the campus and village are small and she still visits.

Top: Soona and her precious Asi.
Bottom: I showed Karim pictures of my family that my sister sent with me.

As I mentioned the hospitality is outstanding, which ironically has led to some frustrations. Lexi and I were not allowed to wash our own clothes (by hand) the first laundry day. Nor were we allowed to help mop our bedroom floor. I know, I’m complaining about not cleaning and those who know me well would laugh at that…however, constantly having someone do ordinary things for me without a way for me to give back or help is, yes, a little frustrating. We finally won the battle of helping with the dishes and washed our clothes (and were informed that would be the last time). These little things make me feel less like a guest and more like a contributor to what is starting to feel like home. King of hospitality here is Mohamed. He consistently mentions how he enjoys serving his “sisters” and he quickly became our go-to guy for cultural questions.

Top: Clothes hanging on the backside of the house.
Bottom: Mohamed and I in the living room.

Living with no running water and 5 hours of electricity per day are finally starting to become routine, and each day Njala becomes more and more home sweet home away from home.

Joyful Journeys,

Julie