Lindsey and Verity started the day bright and early by departing at 7.00 with Mr Meally for a TV broadcast for Good Morning Sierra Leone. This went very well despite a slight issue with Verity's chair which sank down gradually throughout the interview!
The JT reffell group spent our first morning in the school. After a very friendly welcome from the staff and the chance to take in the amazing view, we went into every classroom meeting children ranging from primary to secondary school. Each class welcomed us back to the school with some even performing routines. At break time the children all ran out to meet and play with us, (some a little too energetically as they managed to pull over Olivia). After managing to escape we waved goodbye with a better understanding of which classes we want to teach for the rest of the week.
On the musicians' first arrival to the Ballanta music academy we were all excited to get started and teach our first pupils. After a quick tour, students started to appear, and before we knew it we were all teaching. Soon we were accustomed to the heat and our slightly wacky teaching spaces (Bertie and I having an open-air courtyard for our brass lessons!).
On the musicians' first arrival to the Ballanta music academy we were all excited to get started and teach our first pupils. After a quick tour, students started to appear, and before we knew it we were all teaching. Soon we were accustomed to the heat and our slightly wacky teaching spaces (Bertie and I having an open-air courtyard for our brass lessons!).
We travelled to Martillie international school in the afternoon to perform an outreach concert with the 'Groovy Colours' band from Ballanta. It's safe to say that the children were excited to be out of lessons as they filed into the hall. After a successful attempt at our infamous round of singing the Wells group performed some jazz pieces before we got to listen to the great singing from Groovy Colours.
One of the highlights of our day was a visit to Freetown's Blind School, where we performed some numbers for them, and in return their choir sang a number of beautiful songs for us, accompanied by a very skilled pianist. Solomon and Moses showed off their rapping prowess after the concert with a fast and lengthy rap, and Fatima made it clear that she doesn't much care for Social Studies (by nibbling at her textbook). It was an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience.
We can't wait for the rest of the week!
Lydia and Hafren
