It's 2021...

 

2020 - what a year! Completing my Master in Public Health with a distinction was definitely a highlight, as was time with friends (often at a beach plus a few adventures upcountry to Bumbuna and Gold Forest). Although there were many beautiful moments, #COVID19 marked this year, bringing with it uncertainty, more PPE requirements, quarantine & travel restrictions (no travel at all in 2020!). The words that resonate with the ups & downs of 2020 are grief, loss, uncertainty, dependence (on God), growth, joy, friendship & gratitude. Through the ups and downs, in the mountains and the valleys, God was there. It wasn't an easy year, but I am stronger because of it.

I’m looking forward to an amazing year ahead. May 2021 be full of hope, goodness, love & joy for us all. And may we beat #COVID19 together!

Happy New Year! Welcome 2021.

Happy Thanksgiving...

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

This evening I’ve enjoyed delicious food and some time to reflect. Basically, I’m incredibly grateful for the people God has put in my life - whether for a season or forever - whether near or far - they constantly teach me how to live, laugh and love. They remind me of the importance of self-worth and courage, letting go and moving forward, patiently waiting and chasing my dreams.

I’m forever grateful.

And yes, I put my Christmas tree up a few days ago. It's 2020. It's allowed.

#ihaveamazingfriends

#ihaveanamazingfamily

#livelaughlove

#alwaysanadventure

#begratefulalways

First 24 hours...

I arrived in Freetown last night after being away for a month. I had a great time on my three country trip but it was really good to come home! 

Besides the fact that the electricity cut out at around 3am meaning my fan switched off and it got pretty warm, I slept quite well. Thankfully the power came back and my fan cooled the room down again. Breakfast today consisted of tea with a Basha donut, courtesy of my housemate who was very considerate to buy some 'welcome back donuts' yesterday. 

Within 10 hours of arriving home I walked out of the front door and out of the gate to find a taxi to take me to work. On arrival I was warmly welcomed by staff at AWC, which is always encouraging and fun, except for the comments about how I’ve gained weight because I was fed so well while on leave. This is one of those cultural things I will never quite appreciate. Is it really okay to tell someone they are fat?! I'm sure the donut this morning didn't help. ;)

There were about 45 patients waiting in the clinic when I arrived and they had probably been waiting since 5 or 6 am already. That’s the way it works here - no appointments and people come early to make sure they are seen that day. Thankfully clinic didn’t get too busy and we were able to take our time during the consultations. I even had time for lunch, which was rice with potato leaves - my favorite AWC meal.

My first patient was an infant who needed to be referred due to severe pneumonia. I also saw a child with epilepsy, a 5 year old weighing 11 kilograms and a child who had been mismanaged at a pharmacy who I diagnosed with malaria and started on treatment. I saw others with acute respiratory tract infections, skin conditions like scabies and diarrhoeal disease. It’s definitely never dull! I even had a little time left over at the end of the afternoon to update one of our protocols. 

After work I found a taxi to take me to Aberdeen road junction, walked to a supermarket to pick up a few essential items and then walked home from there, ignoring quite a few “white girl” comments on the way. Another one of those things I have never gotten used to!

I had a relaxing evening at home, which is a nice change since I usually come home and have to start studying right away. Thankfully module 3 of my MPH doesn’t start for another week. 

Alright, that’s it for a little glimpse of my first 24 hours back in Sierra Leone. More another day. It’s bed time now.

#lifeinsierraleone #sierraleone #alwaysanadventure #outpatientclinic #AWC 

Feeling thankful in February...

Here are my moments of thankfulness in February:

1. Thankful for a good public transport system in Freetown that makes it very easy to get to and from work.
2. Thankful for the opportunity to support families of children with cleft lip/palate defects.
3. Thankful for a fabulous first day of our international church retreat at Tokeh palms. The location, food, sun, sea, swimming pool and bonfire were great and it was fantastic to spend time with our amazing church community.
4. Thankful for some great times on day 2 of the retreat and for Faith church who blessed us with this special weekend away.
5. Thankful that a Sierra Leonean medical doctor joined our OPC team. I’m looking forward to working with her!!
6. Thankful for amazing friends who know how to encourage and say the right thing at the right time.
7. Thankful for mosquito coils that protect me from mosquito bites while studying!
8. Thankful that Haley arrived back this evening. It was great to catch up after not seeing her for 7 weeks.
9. Thankful that Lunch is provided at AWC even thought it usually ends up being a very late lunch! It was potato leaves today, one of my favourites.
10. Thankful to receive news from friends that they have started fostering a little boy. Amazing!
11. Thankful for a fun time at an international dance event last night, especially since my Eritrean flat mate took part in the Ethiopian dance! So fun.
12. Thankful for a lovely evening with friends yesterday - delicious pancakes and lots of catch up time.
13. Thankful for a new colleague who arrived from Malawi to help out in the clinic for the next 6 months.
14. Thankful for a great group of friends at Bible Study.
15. Thankful that one of my patients is finally fever free after starting TB treatment a week ago. He’s growing well too!
16. Thankful to meet baby Bah - a precious child who is being fostered by friends of mine.
17. Thankful to be part of an outstanding Enable the Children beach gathering. I’ve been closely involved with this organisation since the beginning in 2007 and it’s awesome to see it continue to flourish.
18. Thankful for international church and reflecting on this season of Lent.
19. Thankful for a public holiday - brunch with friends and extra study time. Hurray for Armed Forces Day.
20. Thankful to have been able to spend every Tuesday at the Kroo Bay Health Centre for the past 6 months. Sadly due to programme changes I won’t be able to attend as frequently but should still be able to be present every other week.
21. Thankful for naps even though I should have been working on an assignment
22. Thankful for precious time with friends - quality time spent with a friend before she travels, with an amazing sunset view, pizza and cocktails.
23. Thankful to be able to introduce two families to each other who have children with cleft lip and palates - so encouraging!
24. Thankful to be able to attend a baby naming ceremony and dedication.
25. Thankful to be a part of a 24-7 prayer event focussing on the upcoming Sierra Leonean elections.
26. Thankful for much better electricity these days - thanks to a ship off shore generating power - hopefully this lasts beyond elections.
27. Thankful for a delicious chicken, mango, sesame, avocado salad at Swiss Spirit hotel.
28. Thankful to have completed module 1 of my MPH. Wow, that was a busy 12 weeks. I’m excited about a 2-week study break.

For moments of thankfulness in January 2018 see: http://sandralako.blogspot.com/2018/01/moments-of-thankfulness.html

#momentsofthankfulness #somuchtobegratefulfor #embracingalifestyleofgratitude #thankfulness #bethankful #thanksgiving #February2018 #2018makeitcount #alwaysanadventure #actjustlylovemercywalkhumbly

Moments of thankfulness...

A good friend of mine, who I met in Sierra Leone, has been an inspiration to me for a number of years now. She was full of smiles and encouragement. She loved to laugh and have a good time. Even after she was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, she kept a positive outlook on life. She used to laugh at my blog posts, especially the ones about the challenges of living in Sierra Leone, and say how it made her more grateful. She introduced me to the book “One thousand gifts” by Ann Voskamp and shared about the importance of embracing a lifestyle of gratitude. The last time we spoke, as she was packing up to go back to Canada for good, she gave me her copy of the book. I still read it often and remember Jen’s smile and I continue to be inspired to live a life of gratitude. It's not easy, and I still complain a lot, but I am trying!

In 2014, at the start of the Ebola outbreak, I decided to write down something I was thankful for every single day, for a year. I did this so that I would have a little bit of reflection time everyday and focus on the positive things in life during a very challenging time. My initial month of postings can be found here: The first 30 days of thankfulness...

This past Christmas, I was reminded of the importance of being grateful at all times and was once again inspired to create a list of gratitude. It’s in these very moments of thankfulness that we experience beauty, peace and grace.

Here are my moments of thankfulness in January 2018:

1. I went on my first walk on the beach in 2018 - thankful for my parents & beach walks.
2. I’m not crazy about going to the dentist but I am thankful for good dental care in The Netherlands.
3. Thankful for slumber parties with my niece & teddy bears.
4. Thankful for freshly baked stroopwafels - yum.
5. Thankful for grapes, blueberries and strawberries - oh how I will miss you.
6. Thankful to go on a city walk in Middelburg - tourist in my own city & for hot chocolate and apple pie.
7. Thankful for an amazing missions weekend at church - inspiring, encouraging and such a blessing!
8. Baking with one of my nieces is always fun - thankful for time with Zoey & making blueberry muffins.
9. Thankful for time spent with my mom and sister - I will miss family.
10. Yay. I’m back in Sierra Leone and very thankful for a safe and smooth return.
11. Thankful that day 1 in the clinic went well, even though I was on my own since my colleague is sick. 
12. I was thankful it was Friday :)
13. Thankful to spend time with an amazing Dutch/Ghanaian family here.
14. 38 years ago my parents left the Netherlands and moved onto the M/V Anastasis. I was 2 years old. I’m thankful for their courage and perseverance and the amazing childhood I had.
15. Thankful to connect with an MPH classmate through WhatsApp- it’s nice to be connected a bit more since we don’t have face-to-face classes.
16. Thankful to start up the Kroo Bay clinic again. Sadly our first patient was critical and died at the Children’s hospital 12 hours later. A stark reminder of the need for the clinic.
17. Thankful to see all of my friends at Bible Study.
18. Thankful to see Abubakar and Mbalu again - they finally passed the 5kg mark this week. Hurray for growth.
19. Thankful for an amazing team at work and thankful that we completed all of the staff reviews today.
20. Thankful for time at River 2 beach with friends to escape work and study!
21. Thankful for the international church group.
22. Thankful I survived 2x8 min of running 😉
23. Thankful for electricity after not having it all evening/night on Monday.
24. Thankful for tea and chocolate!
25. Thankful I survived a 20 min non-stop run.
26. Thankful for quality time with a friend and trying Gigibonta’s pizza for the first time.
27. Thankful for a games night with friends - we were so close to saving the world too...maybe next time.
28. Thankful for a Sunday afternoon beach walk with Suzanne - it had been a while.
29. Despite a very challenging case at work today I am thankful to be able to support the patient’s family through the child’s illness and the difficult situation they are in.
30. Thankful to have submitted another individual assignment for my MPH.
31. Thankful that a plant I’ve been watering back to life for the past week has green leaves shooting up today - it’s a great symbol of new beginnings.

#momentsofthankfulness #somuchtobegratefulfor #embracingalifestyleofgratitude #thankfulness #bethankful #thanksgiving #January2018 #2018makeitcount #alwaysanadventure #actjustlylovemercywalkhumbly

It’s 2018 and I’m back in Sierra Leone after a cold but fun two week break in The Netherlands with family. I wonder what this year has in store for me. I have some hopes and dreams but I also have many questions and things to ponder. Don't we all. Some of these dreams I’ve had for a very long time...

So, 2018. What will this year hold? Am I the only one who never seems to know what I want in life? “When I grow up I want to be a...” Wait a minute I am grown up. Well, there are days that I really don’t know what I want in life and I don’t feel very grown up at all. The good thing is, we never have to have it all figured out. 

What I do know is that right now, I’m in the right place, doing the right thing. And I’m trusting that if I need to head in a different direction at some point, it will be made clear - I will know when to move on and where to move on to. For now, I am staying put. And trusting God. 

Life is busy. Work is busy. There’s an abundance of disease and never a shortage of patients. Today on my first day back I was in the clinic on my own. Seeing 54 patients. There were a surprising number with malaria and a lot with gastroenteritis. One child tested positive for HIV, while another had to be reminded of the importance of taking preventative medication due to his sickle cell disease. There’s never a dull moment. And, just to keep me on my toes, last month I started a distance learning Masters in Public Health. Yes, it’s busy. 

Let’s see where 2018 takes me...

#2018makeitcount #alwaysanadventure #actjustlylovemercywalkhumbly #sierraleone

40 Acts of Kindness...

 

On the 8th of May I started a 30-day challenge to complete acts of kindness as one of my #40before40 activities. This challenge included a wide variety of acts and the recipients have included family, friends in Freetown, elsewhere in Sierra Leone and far away, as well as complete strangers. It’s been fun to surprise people and see their expressions of gratefulness.

In a world with so much hatred and despair it is great to play a small part in spreading kindness and joy. I would encourage anyone reading this post to pay it forward and extend an act of kindness to someone today. In a world where you can be anything: Be Kind.

One of the fun things was that my acts of kindness sometimes “backfired” on me. When I got the phone credit for one of my acts of kindness I planned to let the lady who owns the shop opposite my house keep the change, but instead she gave me my change and gifted me with a bag of popcorn. It was an act of kindness in reverse! I was also blessed when one of the Sierra Leonean doctors gave me a lift home after the SLMDA meeting. He went out of his way to drop me off. He said “we need to look out for each other.” That was much appreciated.

I loved this activity and since the focus this year is 40, I decided to extend the challenge for an additional 10 days, to allow for 40 days of intentional acts of kindness. Here’s the list:

1. Bought NPA (electricity) topup for a friend

2. Treated 3 friends to a meal at a "new" restaurant in Lumley - enjoying African cuisine

3. Made a cup of tea for my house help - it was raining and she was cold (although it was still 30 C outside!)

4. Gave a few phone credit scratch cards to one of my security guards - he was surprised, gave a big smile and said "thanks and God bless"

5. Gave cans of Coca Cola to two different taxi drivers on a hot afternoon 

6. Gave a friend a hug 

7. Gave coconut to a group of children at the beach

8. Made a donation to the organization "charity: water" in honor of my mom on Mother's Day 

9. Sent handwritten cards to friends who are on leave in the UK and Switzerland

10. Gave a card and money to a couple to go and enjoy ice cream at Gigibonta

11. Spent some time at a friend’s house to make sure that her furniture was delivered and assembled while she’s on leave in the USA

12. Helped a friend in need financially

13. Helped someone who is unable to write, write a card for a couple getting married 

14. Bought ice cream for a friend

15. Wrote a card of encouragement to a friend leaving Sierra Leone later in the day, who is moving back to the UK

16. Made lime bar treats for Bible study 

17. Donated money to the organization “Mariatu's Hope” to help with the cost of a tutor

18. Gave a new security guard some Guinea mangos 

19. Had a friendly chat with a random taxi driver and then paid double for my taxi ride

20. Donated money to the organization “Planting Promise” for their school-feeding program in Sierra Leone on World Hunger Day

21. Gave a bag of rice to my house help 

22. Baked chocolate chip cookies for the “Kings Sierra Leone Partnership” team at Connaught hospital and had them delivered to their offices the next day

23. Spent the day helping two blind patients access appropriate healthcare including investigations in other facilities

24. Spent more time with a patient to get a CT scan at a different hospital

25. Sent phone credit anonymously to two former colleagues and my caretaker

26. Packed up clothing I don’t wear anymore to take to Namina’s family in Bailor village

27. Gave chocolates to a group of children

28. Went to Murray Town with someone I just met to help her pick up her fiancé at the Sea Bird water taxi, while I was also picking up a friend

29. Paid the taxi fares for fellow passengers in two different taxis. The smiles and gratefulness expressed was so worth it. 

30. Copied and bound my study manual for the pediatric primary exam and gave it to a Sierra Leonean doctor who is planning to take the exam in a few months time

31. Bought medicine for a friend’s colleague 

32. Gave money to my house help towards her pending surgery 

33. Bought a ticket for a Sierra Leonean law student to attend the Advocaid film festival on women's rights

34. Supported the medical students talent and awards night

35. Sent gifts to my nieces in the Netherlands 

36. Sent money to a family friend who is pursuing a course in counseling

37. Sent money to Stefan, Genae and the kids to treat themselves to treats at “Menchies”

38. Sent a get well card to a dear family friend who is recovering from surgery

39. Sent a card to my parents in Haiti, via TN, to let them know I love them

40. Bought Luci lights, cool solar powered lights, for Junior’s family & Namina’s family  

#randomactsofkindness #actsofkindness #bekind #payitforward #40before40 #sandraturns40 #40isthenew30 #bucketlist #alwaysanadventure #sierraleone #sweetsalone

21. ✔A 30-day challenge - completing acts of kindness or gratefulness (8/5/17-16/6/17)