Pay it forward, my Kiva connection

My Second Day in Sierra Leone

As the sun rose over the mountains I slowly woke up and put on my clothes. There was a loud banging coming from the kitchen and I quickly ran to see Foday crushing nuts and berries on the counter to make porridge. Laughing softly I smiled and joined him. I felt my stomach growl as I smelt the fresh oats and fruit that were going into the porridge. Foday then set the table with a light cloth and blue napkins. He placed a bowl in front of me and then softly grabbed my hand to say grace. “we are thankful for our food and our many blessings. We are thankful to have family in our hearts and friends by our sides. We are thankful for shelter and warmth, for god we are thankful. Amen” 

 

Once my bowl was empty and my stomach was full, Foday said “today I would love to take you to a big rice field next to a forest where we can ride our bikes. I clapped my hand with excitement and got my helmet, the next thing I knew I was running out the door being chased by children that were screaming “kuwa huru” which according to Foday means “be free”.

Once we arrived at the rice field I only saw green lush plants and tall beautiful trees reaching into the deep blue sky. I felt like I was looking at a painting. It was serene! The wind in my face and my hair blowing everywhere we speeded down the hill past several people working in the rice field and a little brown dog. We made our way into the forest and the tall trees covered every bit of sunlight that It felt like it had disappeared. The air had become cooler and I felt chills. Foday led me to a dirt path and we arrived at a small lake where he pulled up and set down his bike. We sat near the edge and watched the sun go down. Our long talks alone were always my favorite. Foday shared stories and times when he was a little boy and I talked about my parents and all my brothers and sisters back home.

The ground was dusty and cracked, my hands felt rough like they were becoming raw. Foday and I finally decided to ride home. It was still hot and you could hear the crickets chirping from miles away. It was like loud music you couldn't turn off, but once I got home the noise put me right to sleep.