Mangoes & Rice: A Report from James in Freetown

Imported rice from Thailand namely Parboiled, Triple AAA and Bella Rosa to name but these three has taken a toll in the markets making it very difficult for the ordinary man to meet a whole bag, instead some go for the half bag which is 25 kg and majority do with the one cup service which is meeting what you can afford for a day and then leave the following day to fend for itself.

For some, especially up in the provinces, a mixture of rice and Bulgur (some kind of brown wheat also imported) which is usually being used to feed pigs, is being blended together to make a perfect family dinner.

The other day, i sat together with a group of fellow photographers at the Sun Colour Photo Studio down Sanders Street and I noticed several push carts carrying bags of rice, old and young men sweating and forcing more rice with their wheelbarrows. Printed on one of the rice bags was USAID,followed by a small writing at the bottom - A GIFT FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. These lines throw lots of question to us and we started debating about it. The argument was, was this sent to us as a gift when people we are paying for it? This remained unanswered.

Let's say, where man fails to come to our rescue, God is always there to help. The months April and May has been good indeed bringing forth more mangoes to help combat the hungry homes. It was said years back that people in Freetown only eat mangoes to balance their diets but my pictures are saying the opposite. More homes are making better use of it including St. Laurence House forgetting this diet balance thing and using mango as a way to ward off hunger.

In Kabala, it is very difficult to tell whether mangoes should be eaten at a certain time because people sleep, wake and dine with it twenty four hours a day.

My fear is what will people do when all this mango season celebration will be done in a months' time and the rice prices still the same or worst?

What's for Dinner?

Photo #1: (Top to bottom) This family shares a mango dinner as they sit in front of their home. More and more people in Sierra Leone are filling up on mango with the cost of rice too expensive to purchase.

Photo #2: A mother and young child share a rice & cassava dinner together

Photo #3: Roo helps with preparation of cassava for dinner at St. Laurence House

Photo #4: Roo anxiously waits for dinner to be cooked so he can fill his belly.

Charities are hurting financially and Nazareth House Apostolate is no exception. Americans have had to cut out on travel and watch our food budgets in the USA, however, in Sierra Leone it is more than a matter of cutting something out of the budget. There is no income to cut from, it is a matter of going hungry and starvation. Please, give what you can - we can make a difference in their lives with what those of us in the West consider "very little money" - so please - any contribution is better than none at all. Thank You.

Send donations to: Nazareth House Apostolate, 2216 Goldsmith Lane, Louisville, KY 40218.

Mango help ease hunger...

The Mangoes are in Season. This is a great help to the hungry in Sierra Leone. The two children (pictured above) are filling up on mango because the rice they have always depended on their mother to provide them with each day is too costly to afford these days. Our staff & family in Freetown at St. Laurence House must also depend on the mango to compensate for the lack of rice due to the fact it is too high priced to purchase.

Updates from Sierra Leone

James, our director in Freetown sent me this post to be added to today's blog. The internet server in Freetown is very slow today, kicking in and out. James had to type quickly, get the word out and upload the pictures to me. It's remarkable that he got anything out to me at all.

12 May 2008 by James Mansaray, Freetown: Before taking another trip checking on the school construction in Kabala , I had been following events and issues around our beloved Salone the past few weeks. Some good ones and some hurting news. All this seen as part of life. For some it is tolerable whilst for others, not too good at all. As a member of Nazareth House Apostolate, we always spend time as a family to pray asking God to take control over it and wishing we had the support to improve on it.

Sierra Leone was recently aired around the world as paying the highest for petrol, this true. More increase in our staple food rice when there is enough poverty. Recently in Kabala two sad incidents where in a girl killed a young man with a scissors out of frustration (photo above) and a lady cutting her husband’s secret part off just because the husband fails to meet his family needs. More and more beggars around the streets of Freetown asking for a coin or more (photo above Roo w/ soccer ball looking out at beggars lined up in front of St. Laurence House), the new government doing its best trying to improve things. But in the mist of global rising prices few good results are achieved.

With Nazareth House Apostolate on the ground trying to help in our own way few plans were made. Primarily to pray and then ask for more support so that we continue to do our work here. Those who had been checking the blog will find a column where in we made up a plan to help improve swamp rice farming in Kabala. But the question is, can you fix square pegs on round holes?

We trying to bring smiles; are not relenting to ask... but pushing and calling on many to help us meet our goal here. The need for a compound our top priority and more and more needs behind it. Oh how i wish to see this come true because renting a house is one of the biggest killing prey here in Freetown and its getting worst day by day. Ask any resident of Freetown about this and you will hear the different cries about it.

Last night I took time to ponder over the recently made DVD on the work of Nazareth House Apostolate here in Sierra Leone. Little be it or not the pictures said it all. We are up to something but we can’t do this alone.

Two days ago I was doing a picture job at the Freetown golf club down Lumley and I saw three things. A fire dancer impressing a group of people, a beautiful sea view, some small kids walking along the beach carrying heavy stuffs on their heads to help fix a new family home. The last scene spoiled the whole show.

Nazareth House Apostolate is here for it and with your supports we can help bring smiles to many sad faces here. See how this little lad is in this picture.

(Scroll down to see pictures relative to this post...)

The 134th Kentucky Derby

There will be a lot of focus on Louisville, Kentucky this week as celebrations abound in preparation of the running of the 134th Kentucky Derby, Saturday May 3rd. Last year, 156,635 were in attendance at Churchill Downs for the “Run for the Roses”. Millions of dollars will be spent on food, mint juleps, partying and betting on the races. I love the city of Louisville and I truly understand & appreciate the revenue that the Derby generates to benefit our town...our State, for that matter. Its all wonderful and I am thankful the city has reason to celebrate.

Since the year 2000 when Sierra Leone and the plight of its people took over my heart and crawled under my skin, I can’t help but view these 2 Minute Sporting Events in a different light. It is difficult for me to join in the exuberance of the local festivities this week, after what I have witnessed in Africa. I do not begrudge anyone else the enjoyment, we all need a refreshing distraction from the tough world we live in. However, as I type this, I am aware of several people in Freetown, ill with treatable diseases, that will die because they can’t afford the medical treatment. I think of the little boy, 3 year old Ben, pictured above and featured on our YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/SaloneNHA). His mother leaves early to go to the farm each day to search for wood and supplies, she returns late in the Evening. Ben is left alone, undressed, to fend for himself, to find food wherever he can. I think of the children in the tiny Town of Robarrie who jumped up and down with excitement because Nazareth House provided their village with (not toys or ipods but) cold tablets and flip flops.

We, Americans are feeling the pinch at the gas pump and the grocery store. We’re having to tighten our belts and watch our pennies. This hurts us but it is not the same pain that Sierra Leoneans experience when there is no food for the family—when you are better off than most if you can provide ONE meal a day for your family!

I spoke with James in Freetown this morning. He is a bit discouraged, all around him is desperation. Even with our little assistance, his own family lives far below the American most impoverished level. As he goes about giving aid to those in need, he hears the news of the spiraling American economy and fears humanitarian donations to Nazareth House will suffer. He worries about those we serve. He also hears in the news that despite the economic crunch, we continue to spend - especially attending sporting events and gambling ... he doesn’t understand.