Second Trip

Hello again all, Mo here. Let me start by again apologizing for taking so long to update my blog after my return from my second trip to Sierra Leone. Moving to a new city to start a new job, and settling down at my new job has taken more time than I expect. I plan on doing a better job at updating my blog with stories and pictures of my charitable trips. I also want to inform you all of my recent name change. My new name is now Francis Mohamed Sahr Roberts, but you all can still call me Mo.

As for my last trip to Sierra Leone, it was an adventurous one. Unlike my previous trip in 2007, this trip was shorter and I was not able to raise as much money as I did in 2007. Although short, the trip was nonetheless emotional, fulfilling, captivating and rewarding. Also, the goal was the same--helping to better the lives of those less fortunate than myself.

As I did during my last trip, I again visited the International Dove Orphanage and spent time with the children there. This orphanage has now been adopted by Help Sierra Leone. It is now one of the recipients of the generosity of so many of you out there. With your help, we donated bags of rice and a barrel of clothing to the orphanage. The administrator of the orphanage, Mrs. Judy Nelson, and the children were very excited to see me again. They were moved and appreciative of our assistance (www.internationaldove.com). I cannot put into words how I feel when the kids rush to hug me or when they say thank you with tears in their eyes. The sense of gratitude and appreciation I get from them is priceless. Also, spending time with the children and talking to them about their daily lives is an experience I will forever cherish. As their slogan reads, they are "today's orphans, but tomorrow's leaders."

Also, as we did in 2007, we offered scholarships to students whose parents are unable to pay their tuition or fund their education. But unlike in 2007 when we offered 70 full scholarships, this time we were only able to offer about 40. As they were in 2007, the students, their families, principals and school officials were all very appreciative and thankful to all of you for your help and generosity. The students we offered scholarships range in age from 12-17; we offered the scholarships to 20 boys and 20 girls. The scholarship includes full tuition, books, bags, uniform and some lunch money. My plan is to continue sponsoring these children until they complete their high school education. This will only be possible with the continued support and help of all of you.

As I have indicated in the past, education is one of the best gift we can give these children because it gives them hope in an otherwise hopeless society. As many of you may understand, there's a huge disparity between the educational level for boys and girls in Sierra Leone (and most of the developing world). I believe that one of the reasons for this is that parents with multiple children who cannot afford to fund all of their childrens' education will usually fund the boy's education because it is thought that girls will one day become wives and therefore need not be educated whereas boys will one day need to provide for a family of their own. Unfortunately, in Sierra Leone, this has led a lot of young girls into a life of prostitution because it helps them provide for themselves and sometimes, their families. This is a national tragedy. During my visit, I was saddened by the sights of young girls prostituting themselves, instead of being in classrooms and living meaningful lives. One of my goals in creating Help Sierra Leone is to get these young girls from the streets and put them in classrooms.

Another trip I took was to Mr. Bangura's bridge home. As a means of introduction, Mr. Bangura is a young father of three who moved into the Aberdeen Road Bridge with his wife and children during the civil war in Sierra Leone. His story was featured on www.bbc.co.uk (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/africa_sierra_leone_bridge_house/html/1.stm). Unfortunately, the matriach of the family died last year. With your help, I visited Mr. Bangura at his make-shift home underneath the bridge. I spent time with him and his children, console them on the loss of his wife and the kid's mother. I also bought the family some grocery to hold them over until I can return to the U.S. and raise some more money to continue helping them. I also made arrangements to find him and his children suitable housing since their current living conditions are deplorable. Since my return to the States, I have since made arrangements to move him and his family to a new place. This should be happening sometime this week. I will be sending you all updates of this development when it happens. The family is very grateful and appreciative to all of you for your help and generosity.

Furthermore, I visited a maternity clinic in Freetown. The clinic is the Kroo-Bay Maternity Clinic that is literally located just a few yards from a heavily flood-prone area of Freetown. The conditions at this hospital were simply beyond beliefs. As some of you may know, Sierra Leone has one of the highest child-mortality rates in the world. As of 2008, Sierra Leone's child-mortality rate stands at about 40%. What this means is that 40% of the children born in Sierra Leone die before their 5th birthday. This is a shame and an outrage. It is both unacceptable and dehumanizing to learn that so many children die in Sierra Leone due to avoidable or treatable illness or diseases. Unlike most of the developed world, Sierra Leone provides little to no pre-natal or post-natal care to expecting and new moms. Also, with an economy in shambles, most families simply cannot afford basic healthcare, or once ill, doctor visits and/or medication to treat otherwise treatable diseases. For example, children still die from measels, complication with circumcisions, chicken pox, malaria, unsanitized water and poor nutrition.

During my tour of the clinic, I spoke with the administrator and some of the nurses about the conditions in the hospital, their needs, the conditions in which they work, aid from the government or some non-governmental organizations. The clinic is totally dependent on funding from the government and donations from NGOs including the UNDP, UNICEF, World Vision and others. Apart from raising money to help this clinic, my plan is to also contact some hospitals in the area and ask them to help train nurses and pedaetricians in Sierra Leone, donate medications and basic medical equipments and materials to this clinic and other similarly situated clinics in Sierra Leone. I know this is a tall task, but the least I can do is ask and try my best to convince people to help.

Also, I donated three barrels of clothes donated by my friends and family to needy families and children of Sierra Leone. The recipients of your generosity were very appreciative and thankful to all of you.

Attached to this post are some pictures of my trip to Sierra Leone. I hope it will inspire and motivate you all to give again to this worthy cause. As I have said in the past, without your help, my ideas will simply be that--ideas. But instead, with your help, we have been able to touch so many lives and I hope you all will join me so that we can continue to touch lives in Sierra Leone. None of us are responsible for the challenges facing Sierra Leone, but we can all help that country forge a new way forward by helping its most vulnerable citizens. As you all know, the plight of Sierra Leoneans is very near, dear and personal to me. Not only did I lost family members and friends during the country's eleven year civil way, but I have also lost nieces, nephews and cousins to the high child-mortality rate in Sierra Leone. It is by the grace of God, the love of my family, my friends (including you all) and this great nation that I am able to live a life that sometimes still lives me in awe; because a few years ago, I was just another kid in Sierra Leone wondering what's going to be come of my life and whether I have a future at all. Back then I was not thinking about getting a job, instead, I was thinking about whether me and my family and friends were going to survive a civil war that was claiming the lives of others. This is my motivator for trying to help and trying to make a difference.

Over the years, I have received so many messages from you all thanking me for my efforts and telling me how much of an inspiration I am on you all. Well, although flattered and humbled by these messages, I am undeserving of them because all I am doing is trying to make a difference--something that all of us do in one way or the other. Also, if I was in the situation that many of the people we help find themselves in, I will appreciate help from someone, anyone.

To conclude, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all you've done and continue to do. I ask you all to continue to give what you can. Please feel free to share these stories and pictures with your families and friends. Please encourage them to give and help me in this battle to better the lives of the unfortunate and disadvantaged among us. Thank you all and I hope to hear from you all soon. Please feel free to leave me your comments and/or suggestions.

Mo