Today, I am at Café Diaspora, a really sweet place that I just love in Freetown- it’s got Western standards, but somehow avoids being overrun by ex-pats…there are a few, of course, self included, but unlike other western-style joints, it’s never overrun by westerners. I don’t know why…downtown, inexpensive, wireless access, library/bookstore, cooperatively run- it should be! But I’m glad for selfish reasons that it isn’t, because it is an absolute oasis for me.

I’m trying to figure out how this office shutdown is going to go. I don’t think the suggestions I’ve received to date are feasible. I don’t know how the staff are going to react (are they going to cry? Am I?). I don’t know how the cooperatives are going to react, or whether I will take on the One Sky cooperatives and continue working with them. I’m considering it…groups like Bandafayie in particular have been so successful, this model is working- it seems a shame not to continue and see how far they can go. Some groups can be let go without issues, I think- Woama are a nice group, but they’ve pretty much ignored the whole project One Sky tried to implement, which is totally their prerogative and something I support if it didn’t work for them- a formal dissolution of the partnership is probably positive to neutral in their case. Kainsay will be fine on their own, I think- they are successful and very independent, which is wonderful. The partnership with Njaiyor never really took off…I wonder if they’ll even notice, lol.

Then there’s MORFA and the Sunshine Family…with all the One Sky stuff going on, I haven’t had much time to be excited for what’s going to happen with these groups. Thanks to all the wonderful people who donated time and money to the Isatou Society fundraising effort, these guys are going to get set up with the equipment they need to pursue their farming projects, and bring in some income for themselves. Yay! That is going to be fun times, reviewing the business plans with the groups and going equipment shopping! I will take tons of photos and video, can’t wait to share!

And then there are the interviews I’m doing for my thesis- the official reason I’m here! I’m still finishing up the ethical review (for ‘use of human subjects in research’!), so I wont be able to interview for about a month, but that works out fine…I can probably do it over xmas when I have my mum up there to assist me.

I’m really very excited about going to Koidu. It’s just the trip up that makes me want to scream. 7-8 hours mushed in a van with 23 other people, caked in a film of dust-sweat mud, unable to move, no pee breaks…wish me luck!