Well, here I am, back at home in Halifax. The trip from Sierra Leone was relatively uneventful. I managed to meet a couple of people at the airport in Lungi, and chatting with them helped pass the almost 8 hours we had to wait before the flight left. They both work for an organization called Orphfund that helps abandoned and orphaned children. They have a couple of projects in Sierra Leone, as well as in a few other countries.
The only downside of my travels home is that one of my suitcases didn't make it. I am still hoping that it will come back to me eventually - it hasn't officially been declared lost yet. While there was nothing of significant monetary value in it, it did contain almost all the souvenirs and gifts I bought to bring back with me, so I will be sad if it doesn't turn up.
It's really nice to be home, especially with the holidays about to start. It's amazing how quickly everything here feels comfortable and familiar to me again. Things here are basically the same - almost like I was never away at all. Although being home is great, it's strange too. I went grocery shopping yesterday and found the whole experience slightly weird. I kept staring at all the food and thinking about people I left behind in Sierra Leone that don't have enough to eat. It really drove home the inequality that exists in our world, and the fact that there are enough resources available to meet our needs globally. It's just a coordination problem that they can't get to the people that need them. I mean do we really need 500 kinds of salad dressing to choose from? Couldn't some of that money and food be diverted to others? Obviously, it's not that simple, but it does make you wish that there was a way it could be simple.
Wishing all my friends and family in Sierra Leone, Canada, and all over the world a very Merry Christmas!
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My name is Valerie Ricapito I am a Master's candidate in Global and International Education at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, USA. For my co-op, I am focusing on Peace Education and I am working with CDPeace, and Dr. and Mrs. Turay, to document their origins, history, and the work that they do. This includes interviewing people who have been volunteers, employees, or have been impacted by CDPeace. Would you be able to put me in touch with someone who has volunteered/worked there?
I can be reached at this email address, Skype at valerie.ricapito, on Facebook through the email address vricapito@gmail.com, and through my website http://valeriericapitoeportfolio.weebly.com/
Thank you in advance for your help with this project.
Valerie Ricapito
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