The first week:

Monday June 19th:
Arrived well to Lungi airport and was picked up by my friend Emanuel – Man Tok. Drove to the house: a luxurious five-bedroom place in the west end of Freetown. Slept the whole night to the sound of heavy rain on the roof and frogs courting one another in the distance.

Tuesday June 20th:
On my way to the office I drove by the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Really hope I get to visit the court this time. Spent the day sorting out financial stuff for Play31 (Paypal is complicated), catching up with Adenike, Emanuel and the others at the office, and finding my way to the local Cookery Shop. Met up with Mario later and discussed the progress of Fambul Tok and how he has seen the program moving ahead over the last four months.

Wednesday June 21st:
Had a good meeting with Adenike. We went over the next four steps for the pilot program: Buying the footballs; distributing them; different ways of using them in peace-building education; and evaluating the impact of the project. We came up with the slogan “Play football, make peace”. And we also got the idea to call the footballs “Peace Footballs” to make it clear that once you play with Play31’s footballs, you have to put any skirmishes aside and play together in peace.
At night, I went to the “cinema” with Emanuel to watch the Champions League final. It was amazing to see the level of joy and passion the beautiful game animates here! If I ever doubted the conceptual idea of Play31, last night confirmed to me that few things truly unite people the way footie can!

Thursday 22nd:
Finally got the footballs. It was an amazing feeling to stand here at the FoC office with a huge bag of footballs knowing that in a matter of weeks, those very footballs will reach whole groups of kids in remote and disenfranchised areas, who have rarely gotten anything from anyone. Thinking back at how the idea was conceived right here in Sierra Leone in January and then looking at where we are now is just amazing.
Spent the night discussing how to negotiate with violent rebel groups with a Ugandan consultant.

Friday 23rd:
Went over emails from people from Denmark interested in supporting Play31; always a pleasure. A US girl doing a phd in Salone’s history also contacted me. The interest in Play31 has been quite overwhelming. I’m happy that so many people like the idea. Went to play volleyball with Kevin and Jared on Lumley beach and then went to their place for some guitar playing (never get tired of Bob Dylan). Went home around 10 and continued reading Guns, Germs and Steel and learned why the zebra is so useless to people: It doesn’t want to mate in front of spectators.

Saturday 24th:
Went to play footie with some kids here in Ministry district at a little round concrete court (see pics). Cute kids. And good skills! They were obviously surprised that I knew how to play: not sure whether to be offended or take it as a compliment. Went to Paddy’s with Robert and Karin – not too lively. Got home in time to continue Guns, Germs and Steel.

Sunday 25th:
I guess it’s good to slow completely down after the last weeks and months in NYC. Am sitting in the living room at Spur Road and sweating my brains out. The humid heat is crazy. Karin is soothing me with Fela Kuti. Am looking forward to some Play31 action soon.