Currently, I am sitting in the London Heathrow airport. It is already a form of shock, to jump from the sweat, filth, poverty, but albeit vibrancy of Freetown to such a sterile, sparkly environment. From where I sit Burberry, Gucci, Mulberry, and Jimmy Choo shops are all within eyesight. I wonder how one of the youth from Freetown who have never been out of Sierra Leone would react to seeing this place. I think some of them would be afraid to touch anything!

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Tuesday was my last full day in Sierra Leone. I went to the "youth center" in Freetown where the youth and community put on an informal program. Some of the youth involved in SLYAP put on a play for me. A couple artists came and performed, and the real crowd drawer was some cultural dancing! The play was an expression of how many of them became involved in SLYAP and how their lives were enriched by the opportunity to be educated by SLYAP. The performance expressed their gratitude towards the agency. I could see a genuine comfort for many of them in drama. One boy who rarely spoke was much more vocal and at home when doing the drama. Two of the eldest kids -- one an orphan who was found by SLYAP in the refugee camps and the other an ex-child soldier -- really thrived in this setting. I greatly enjoyed the performance, and was pleased that I could understand almost everything that they were saying! (Even though a volunteer still translated everything for me just in case I missed something.)

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I think there is a rule in Africa that plans just simply never go as planned. This weekend the YAP staff, the director of SLYAP, and I joined Freetown's city council, including the mayor, on a trip to the island of Bonthe. The city council of the island and of Freetown agreed to do a form of exchange and to work together. The trip had been planned several times and this was finally the one that was going to make it. Details were vague but everyone was under the impression that Bonthe was only about a two-and-a-half-hour drive away, that it was a historical island with beautiful beaches, and we would be staying in a "luxury" resort. By luxury this typically means one with real showers, air conditioning, and a pool.

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This past week has been a whirlwind and my usual daily relationship with my computer was quite neglected. This week YAP staff, both current and former, came out to Sierra Leone; unfortunately for them they had not been informed that March is the hottest month in Sierra Leone. They jumped into the most sweltering week I've had since being here. There's no temperature gauges anywhere to inform me just how hot. But, if judging by how long after I take my shower to when I wish I could take another one, I know it has to be a ridiculously high temperature and humidity level. How people cope and function in this heat is astounding to me.

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This week I went to Mile 91, the village where SLYAP has a youth center and a school. Whoever named Mile 91 must have been lacking in creativity that day; it bears that name because it is 91 miles outside of Freetown. This was the first time I truly was able to get outside of the city and I was very excited to see the provinces.

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I met with a group of students at a school SLYAP supports at the end of last week. It is challenging to learn how to build trust with youth from a different culture whom you have just met, but I am learning. This group revealed to me just how important SLYAP is in their lives. When I asked what should be changed they said to expand! They want more SLYAP. They want the rest of the youth in Freetown to be able to experience the benefits of being involved with SLYAP.

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1. Having my blood drawn
2. Getting an IV
3. Being hospitalized!!!

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When we think of poverty in the United States we tend to think of the homeless, people living in cars or shelters, going to soup kitchens in order to eat a good meal that day, etc. We don't know poverty like this; we don't see slums stretching for shack after shack.

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1. Never leave anything sweet out -- red ants will attack.
2. Don't wear camouflage clothing -- it is illegal and they might demand that you take it off right there in the middle of the street and hand it over.
3. Most Sierra Leoneans love rice and pepper -- expect to have rice and something spicy with each meal.
4. There is such a thing as peanut-butter soup -- yes it's good, no it tastes nothing like peanut butter.

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Some of you may have attended the International Workshop at the National Leadership Conference back in November, if you did, thank you! You would have seen me briefly present on Sierra Leone (I was the one with the excessive hand motions).

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