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Sierra Leone

Reflections on Aid to Africa; Good Intentions, Unintended Consequences

January 12, 2018 By Michael Wuitchik Leave a Comment

Since January of 2000 I’ve traveled to Sierra Leone on six or seven occasions. Whereas my first few visits were for the purpose of researching a novel, my recent travels have been to assist friends in establishing businesses, a medical clinic for a birthing room,  and schools for providing school fees for several high school students. […]

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Filed Under: Musings, Salone 2018 Tagged With: aid dependency, Bill Gates, Dambiso Moyo, economic aid, foreign aid, international aid, micro-loan, NGO, Salone, Sierra Leone, World Vision

Diamond Mine

January 30, 2017 By Michael Wuitchik Leave a Comment

This is the quickest blog post I’ve ever done…the video speaks for itself.

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Filed Under: Salone 2017 Tagged With: African diamonds, Diamond mine, Sierra Leone

New Used Shoes, revisited…

January 28, 2017 By Michael Wuitchik

I wrote a post in 2010 titled ‘New Used Shoes’. It was a story about three young girls who had never owned a pair of shoes. They were orphans cared for by an older woman in the village. They went to school in flip flops or, more often, in bare feet. And so we went for […]

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Filed Under: Salone 2017 Tagged With: Africa aid, freetown, Michael Wuitchik, new used shoes, Salone, Sierra Leone

Just Imagine

January 27, 2017 By Michael Wuitchik Leave a Comment

This country is addicting. And heartbreaking. Strolling along the beach between River Two and Tokeh is addicting…if you like sand the colour and feel of cornstarch between your toes. And if,looking back, your footprints are the only ones for a mile. Occasionally a young boy will approach, adding his story to yours. “Who you support?” […]

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Filed Under: Salone 2017 Tagged With: ebola, freetown, Mende, Salone, Sierra Leone, solar lights

Trashing the bed…

February 19, 2015 By Michael Wuitchik Leave a Comment

Of the scores of photos I’ve taken in Africa, there is one that stays with me. It is a photo of the labour and delivery bed in the clinic in Sumbuya, Sierra Leone. The leather itself seems anguished–worn in places–torn in others. If you look closely enough you can almost hear the voices of the […]

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Filed Under: Salone 2015 Tagged With: ebola, freetown, maternal mortality in Sierra Leone, Michael Wuitchik's blog, Salone, Sierra Leone, sumbuya, travel

To my friends in Sierra Leone

October 17, 2014 By Michael Wuitchik 6 Comments

In March of this year I was in an airport lounge in Brussels, getting caught up on world news after my most recent trip to Sierra Leone, when I first read that ebola had entered the country through neighbouring Guinea. I’ve logged many calls with my Sierra Leonean friends since then. I am fully aware […]

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Filed Under: Musings, Salone 2014 Tagged With: ebola, freetown, Poro, Sierra Leone, sumbuya, travel

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