Starting Again...
on Carole Green (Sierra Leone), 25/Mar/2011 13:25, 34 days ago
Being the only person in Country for your UK based organisation can have its benefits and difficulties. The main issue is LOGISTICS, well to be honest no matter if you work for a big organisation or not, water, electricity and transport are the 3 biggest issues which you constantly grapple with and I am NO exception! Its quite common for volunteers and paid workers to go home early as it’s not all beer and beaches!Recently a good friend of mine finished her 6 month VSO placement in the Ministry and decided not to renew her placement after a 6 month battle with VSO over the provision of water, or lack of it to be precise! At times she could not go to work because she couldn’t wash. When you add these kind of problems to the set up tasks of finding a place to live, finding and setting up an office, setting up a things like a bank account and new business phone, dealing with constant car problems and starting a new job, requiring you to meet with lots of new people and weekly updates on progress/plans... Then add supporting people here with various issues and problems......and good friends leaving like Rey, a week after I arrived.I’d like to be able to say ‘however, as I am a tough and experienced VSO, the last few weeks has been a breeze’ but they haven’t. Since I came back, its been tough and busy and I’ve missed my friends and family more than before. I’ve only been to the beach twice!!! That’s how hard it’s been! BUT... I now have somewhere to live and an office and the job is starting to take shape. I am sitting sipping my last drop of Oyster Bay wine from the precious 2 bottles I brought with me in February and writing my blog for the first time in ages on the lovely terrace of my new little house.SORRY its taken me so long to get blogging again and thanks for all those kicks, complaints and encouraging emails. I had no idea that my blog had so many readers! I promise......no more huge gaps between blogs and yes I am still alive!!!