It had been seven years since my last visit to my home country, Sierra Leone. For many reasons I wasn’t able to plan a visit in the intervening years, but was really excited to be finally making the trip after such a long time. I was planning to visit family and friends as well as the young girl I sponsor through World Vision. After a smooth flight from London I landed at Lungi Airport on a wet, muggy Sunday evening.
Visiting the village chief
I spent the next few days seeing family and friends and preparing for my visit to meet my sponsored child. The people were as warm and as friendly as I remember and getting reacquainted with old friends has been wonderful, visiting the neighbour and her family across the road brought back great memories.
On Wednesday we headed off to my sponsored child’s community through the mountain villages of Regent, Charlotte and Bathurst. At Charlotte I caught a glimpse of the first site of my old school, Annie Walsh Memorial, which was actually based in a church built more than a hundred years ago. We passed several markets en route and at Moyamba Junction decided to cut through the Sierra Rutile mines to save time. The manager at Mattru Jong sent a staff member on motorbike to meet us at the mines so we wouldn’t get lost and he led us safely to our destination. As we arrived there was a welcoming party to greet us, I felt very much like a VIP, and it was obvious right away that a lot of effort had gone into planning my visit.
Sharing a laugh with my sponsored child
I was welcomed to the ADP and Mr Jalloh explained the itinerary for the day. First stop was a visit to the local chief to pay my respects and explain my reason for visiting. We chatted for a few minutes and the next stop was the home of my sponsored child, who ran out to greet me, she had been told I was coming and her whole family turned out to see me. I felt truly honoured to be a part of their community even for such a short time. We exchanged gifts; I gave my sponsored child the pens, pencils and other stationery items I had brought for her. I also brought her a couple of books, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ explaining that it was a very popular children’s book in the UK and ‘Olabisi’s Party and other stories’, a book of short stories for eleven to thirteen year olds. I also gave her a postcard of London showing Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the River Thames, Trafalgar Square and other landmarks. She was very happy to see where I live.
She showed me her school report and I saw that she did very well in her end of year results and was second overall. She read for me from a book I had sent her last year ‘Chike and the river’ one of my favourite childhood novels by Chinua Achebe. It was great to be able to see her wonderful progress in person.
With my sponsored child’s family (me wearing the batik blouse they gave me)
I talked with my sponsored child’s family a while and got on very well with her mum, I gave her the gifts I had brought for her and she returned the gesture by giving me a few gifts of her own; coconut oil, a live chicken and batik blouse. My guide took lots of wonderful pictures of me and the whole family to remember the occasion. We said our goodbyes and drove to the school where we were met by the headmaster and my sponsored child’s class teacher. They were warm and friendly and explained that the school closed for the summer holidays last week, and would resume in September. I gave the teachers the scrap books, colouring pens, pencils and postcards I had brought for the pupils (hopefully I can plan my next visit so I can get to see them during the school term).
Giving a few gifts to my sponsored child’s school – including a book about London
We then visited three different projects in the village; a traditional birth attendance centre, a health centre and staff building with classrooms, an office and a store. It was great to be able to see my small contributions making such a difference to remote communities in Sierra Leone, people who would otherwise struggle to meet some of their most basic needs. World Vision’s activities are growing and my hope is that they can continue to reach other groups that so urgently need help in the country. Now that I have seen the hard work of local staff I will make sure that I continue to do my bit for as long as is necessary to help World Vision support these communities. This visit has been particularly poignant for me because I was born in Sierra Leone, and feel that it’s important for me to put something back into my country of origin.
My visit was over, in a flash it seemed, but I’m already thinking about my next trip, I definitely plan to return.
If you have any questions for me about my trip or what life is like for children in Sierra Leone please post them below or on World Vision’s Facebook page.
Mia Koso-Thomas is a long-term supporter of World Vision. She grew up in Sierra Leone but now lives in London working as a legal consultant. She has blogged about her return to Sierra Leone and meeting her World Vision sponsored child.
*Mia has not used her sponsored child’s name in order to protect her identity
I am sponsoring a little girl of 8 years old in Sierra Leone whose name is Lucia, and have been since February. I have sent her photos of our family, two t-shirts and a letter, but so far I have heard nothing from her, and I am wondering if she is all right. I have written to World Vision, but so far have heard nothing.from them. Can you give me any ideas how to get in contact with her, as I am wondering if she is all right. She replaced another girl in Sierra Leone called Adama whom I had sponsored for several years, but her family had moved out of the area, and so I was given Lucia.
I look forward to your reply and suggestions.
All the best
Jennette Wickes
Hi Jennette,
Sorry you’ve not heard anything from Lucia yet. We received your query at our office and a letter was posted out to you on the 20th July- it must still be in the post. We have sent a message to our staff in the Sierra Leone office to check up on Lucia and enquire about your gifts. As soon as they respond to us we will let you know. Our database does say a letter was sent from Lucia to you in April- hopefully this is still on its way and you will receive it soon. If you have anymore questions, our supporter care team would love to speak to you, our office is open 9am-5pm and you can reach us on 01908 841010.
A very inspiring blog. I now realised that just giving a monthly amount is simply not enough. As a fellow Sierra Leonean who also sponsored a child in Majong, I am deeply touched by the fact that our choice of sponsorship can aid more than one’s own sponsored child. Next time I pay a visit to our beloved Sierra Leone, I will arrange to see my sponsored child as well. God bless you for all you did during this trip.
Well done Mia. Like Marian, I’m also a Sierra Leonean and currently sponsoring a 15 y/o boy in the Bonthe area. I never thought of visiting my sponsor child until I received a request from another sponsor child (via Compassion UK) to visit her in Uganda.
I guess your experience has given me some food for thought, although my problem is travelling outside Freetown.
Child sponsoring has been an incredible experience for me and I’ve being doing it for almost a decade now. It’s a challenge for me to take on my second sponsored child via World Vision, but I thank God I did as I have experienced the blessings mentioned in Luke 6:38.
Message from Mia:
‘Thank you all so very much for your wonderful comments on my trip to Sierra Leone to visit my sponsored child. I am really touched by your kind words and hope that you too can one day visit the child you sponsor through World Vision.
I feel very fortunate to have gained a real perspective on what is needed to improved the lives of people there. I noticed a working well at one of World Vision’s projects and was so impressed as I know these take dedication to maintain! So I plan to sponsor projects like these in future.
The journey itself went without a hitch. The local staff are so professional and welcoming, before I knew it I back in Freetown. I would encourage you to make the trip to visit your sponsored child if you get the opportunity, it will really be worthwhile. Mia.’
I so enjoyed reading your blog and it must be really special and humbling to finally meet your sponsored child. I have been sponsoring a boy for some 4 years now and I get a real kick out of receiving his letters and knowing I can make some small contribution to him, his family and his community.
He is now 14 and I’d really like to understand more about his education system. I have asked a few times but so far without success. Do they have primary and secondary as we know it and if so I assume he will now be in secondary school? At what age do they leave school? I would welcome any information you can give me.
Message from Mia: Hi Michael, thanks so much for reading my blog. Yes they do have primary and secondary schooling, my sponsored child is in her last year of primary school and will be moving to secondary in a year from now. If you contact World Vision they will be able to give you lots more information on how the education system is set up, I hope this helps. Mia.
Hi Mia,
I’m sponsoring a little girl in Sierra Leone and would like to know if she will be taught to read English at school?I was interested to read that you sent books to your sponsored child & would like to do the same,but was uncertain as to whether books in English would be of any use to her.
Many thanks
Gail
Message from Mia: Hi Gail, yes you can send your sponsored child books and reading materials in English, the office in Freetown will forward them on. I sent my child a book written in English last year and she read from it while I was there, it was great to see her progress! Do let me know if I can help further. Mia.