Wednesday 8 October 2014

Project 3580 Sierra Leone 2014 ~ The Photos Which Speak A Million Words



As promised here's a slightly different blog post for you.

Ebola is a epidemic which is sweeping Sierra Leone among other places, no doubt you'll have heard about the disease on the news. Yesterday we received the horrific news that ebola has now spread into the Kissi town refugee camp, putting our friends at extremely high risk. Conditions are harsh, there is not enough money for the medical equipment needed. The camp's clinic is under extreme pressure to keep the people of the camp alive, and it needs fuel in order for the generator to work. Lives are being lost both from the Ebola but also starvation due to the lack of food available.

If anyone reading this is able to donate any amount of money to a charity which is extremely close to my heart, any donations will be greatly appreciated no matter how big or small. Please share this to spread the awareness and help our friends out in Sierra Leone who are currently facing life threatening situations.



Or TEXT: EBLA80 and £3/5 or £10 to 70070


Around Christmas time last year, I made one of the most amazing decision of my life. One thatI will never forget and has completely changed my life forever.

Travelling over 3 thousand miles with 21 other people (only 3 of which I had met previously) to a country devastated by an eleven year civil war and currently ranked the poorest country in the world, was definitely the most nerve racking experience of my life. (Oh did I mention the fact I am also pretty sh*t scared of flying!)

I decided to make this a ‘photo based’ blog post. In this sense…the photos do speak a million words. 

It’s funny because when you watch programmes such as Comic Relief where the celebrities go to some of the worst places in the world, you don’t really believe that people live like that. (I didn’t used to believe it myself) But from experiencing it first hand, I can confirm that everything you see is real life and it is still happening today in the modern world.

The most remarkable thing about the people living in these places is their happiness. It makes me question how these people can be so happy, when they simply have nothing. The answer to this is that they know no different.

Simple things that we take for granted such as clothes are a luxury to them, children walk around barely clothed wearing ripped t-shirts, clothes which are too small for them, in the worst condition.

The children don’t own shoes, they walk around bare footed. Why? Because they've never had shoes.

The girls I met, only ever took one thing from me. One simple thing that is seen as a ‘necessity’ to most of us and most of you reading this. Hair bobbles, Hair ties, hair elastics, whatever you call them, that’s all they wanted from me. Every day I would leave our accommodation with a bobble around my wrist and without a doubt I would return from the school with an empty wrist.


The 2014 Project 3580 Team
My favourite picture of the whole trip
Myself and Three other members of my school
Taking it all in on the beach - One of the only places which is almost untouched by tourism
Cheeky Little Papa 

Getting up to watch the sunrise
Reflection on the 11 days which had just happened, taken on the ferry as we travelled home.
Moral of the story? Well there are many different things I could say, but I’m not going to say anything. I shall leave that for you…yes you the person reading this right now. You take this blog post, however you feel necessary. I've put my point across.

Love Beth x


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