Second week:

Monday 26th:
Visited the Special Court. Tres interessante! Am going back Wednesday to follow the appeal judges sentencing of the two CDF people on trial. Spent night talking to Karin and Robert and Ziggi (the dog) at the house.

Tuesday 27th:
Big day! Play31 launch. Went to Makeni early in the morning with the obligatory stops to visit friends and load fresh mangos and pineapples. We visited four schools. The joy and enthusiasm was overwhelming all places. At one school, the principal reminded the kids at the official Play31 ceremony that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but all play and no work makes Jack a stupid boy”. The kids were older on average than I expected. The explanation, said Adenike, is that it was impossible for many children to attend school for 3-4-5 years during the war. Either because of security measures or because they were abducted or otherwise took part in the war. Makeni was a stronghold for the RUF.
It’s rollin’. It’s really happening. Not sure if the kids or I were most happy with today’s donation of footballs. Wish everyone who’s been part of this process could be here to take part (although all those white pumui-faces would appear a little odd in this setting)

Wednesday 28th:
Special Court appeal case for the CDF (Kondewa and Fofana). Their sentences were raised from 6 and 8 to 15 and 20 years. Wrote an article about it – hope Politiken in Denmark will print it. It really is of quite enormous significance for International Humanitarian Law. Many Sierra Leoneans are upset with the judgment because they see CDF as heroes rather than as commensurable with the crooks from RUF and AFRC that have been on trial so far.
Upon arriving to Spur Road I was welcomed by the usual committee of kids and grown ups yelling Tamba/Jakob/White Boy/Pumui and am now enjoying my Tyrkisk Peber and fresh mango.

Thursday 29th:
Spent the day writing on articles and papers relating to Salone one way or the other. Let’s see where they go. Also made plans for the next donations of footballs, the first of which will happen tomorrow in the Waterloo area. More on that soon!
Moved back in with my family here. Back to the full Sierra Leonean experience including sharing bed, showering from a bucket and much else. I like it! Amazing how open and welcoming people here are. They share everything they have with me. Such a cliché, but we pumui-westerners could really learn something here…

Friday 30th
Went to deliver footballs in Waterloo area. As always a lot of happy faces and enthusiasm. We met with the principal of one school and he appreciated Play31’a work very much. Am starting to wonder, though, if it’d be cooler if I didn’t go out with the balls. Not sure I like being the white man bringing presents for the kids. Have to think about that.
Spent the night with the family teaching Abdulai to play chess on my computer

Saturday 31st
Went to For a Bay College to pick up my Sierra Leonean sister’s stuff: there have been riots at the university following the student election process between the “black” and the “white” group with claims of rigged elections. Stone-throwing and everything.
I later became totally sick as I haven’t been for years and was sure I would end my life in a little house on John Street, Freetown. Nothing what so ever wanted to stay in my stomach and I was delirious with fever.

Sunday June 1st
Woke up feeling much better.
Went to the beach to meet a friend. We went swimming later and hung out all day talking about life’s big questions until I became a little sick again and went home to the relative quietness of Spur Road.