Internet Lessons!!!

Mariama listening to some music.

As some of you know I have been working on the plastics ward for the past couple of months.  The only patients left are the ones that have been having some problems with healing.  One of those patients, Mariama, had boiling water accidentally poured on her hand when she was a baby.  She is now thirteen years old and has been unable to use that hand since.  We have done a surgery to release her fingers so that she will regain some function with that hand.  One day she comes up to me and asks how to send someone an email. 

The following conversation ensued:
"Well, you need to set up an email account"
"How much does it cost"
"It's free"
"Can you help me set one up"
"Well, do your friends here in Sierra Leone have emails"
"No"
"Then what do you need one for"
"Well some of my friends from the ship that visit me want me to email them"
"Ah... that makes sense"
"Do you have access to a computer and the internet once you leave the ship"
"Yes, I can use the one at school"
"Well then I guess I can help if I have some free time"

She said she had some experience with computers at school, so I'm thinking maybe 1/2 hour and we should have it all set up,.   All I need to do is show her how to set up the email account.  I did not realize I had overestimated her level of computer experience, until after the whole account was set up.  I asked if she had any questions.  The first question was "How do I get to my email?" and the second was "How do I send an email".  At first I am thinking maybe it is the language barrier, even though she speaks fairly good English.   So I have her sit in front of the computer so she can practice.  Sometimes you just need to practice something before it really gets into your head..

"Alright... first go to the internet", this statement is followed by a blank stare.  I then point at the icon and say "Ok... click on the internet icon".  Again, another blank stare.  I then show her the mouse "So, if you move this mouse, you can see how it moves the little arrow on the screen.  Move the arrow so it lands on top of the internet icon, now you need to push down on the mouse 2 times fast and it will open up."  At last! A look of understanding.  YAY!  It takes 3 tries at "double clicking" but we finally get to the internet.

I then proceeded to continue this method of explanation until we went over sending emails and how to log out of the account.  As you can imagine it took us much longer than the original 1/2 hour I thought it would take. I think we will need to have a few more practice sessions before she really gets it down, but is was exciting to see her learn and begin to understand how the computer works.   Afterward she was so excited to be able to write her friend she had met on the ship.

Bunce Island

View on the way to the island

We made it up the hill!

A couple of weekends ago I went with some people to Bunce Island.  Slave traders used to keep the slaves here, before they were transported to America or other countries.  Most of the buildings are in ruins now, but they have started a conservation project to preserve the area and promote tourism there.  We were able to go in a Mercy Ships vehicle which saved the hassle of bargaining with the podapoda drivers.

We took the scenic route there over bumpy poorly maintained dirt roads.  It was really quite fun not only the ride but the scenery was beautiful.  It was as if we were transported from the busy city to remote villages in a matter of 1/2 hour.  It was very green and lush with areas of farmland and villages.  We then reached a small fishing village, which would be our launch point.  Some of the local fisherman took us to the island in their boats.  None of the boats had motors so they used wooden oars to row us across the water.  A lot of work for those men, but they were very efficient.

The village where we launched from to get to the island

Once we got to the Island we were free to roam the Island and look at all the ruins, it was like arriving at a lost city as vines and plants were growing over the buildings.  There was an archaeologist there that was helping with some of the restoration, and he let us know some of the history of the Island.  He mentioned that the main house or living quarters were joined with the slave area, so the slave owners could look out their second story window and view the slaves in the yard.  I was really nice to get away from the business and noise of the ship and city of Freetown. 

The old ammunition storage area

Inside of the slave masters house

Outside of the house

An old well, with some nice murky water at the bottom

The slave holding area