Salone 23: Day 10 and Day 11- The journey back and final thoughts from us all…

After another hearty breakfast on Sundfay 29th, we set off just before 12 pm to catch our ferry headed for Lungi airport. Lots of emotions and pupils both looking forward to being home, asking each other what is the thing they most look forward to (McDo being one firm favourite!), but sad at the same time to leave Salone behind. Very smooth check-in and then departure- duty free prices an aboslute joke ($16 for chocolates!? really?), and then finally at 7 pm we boarded our flight bound for Brussels first, and then London. Poor Tobin and I spent most of the flight awake as Tobin became ill due to some dodgy tuna sandwich picked up at the airport. We finally made it to Heathrow, despite all this around 10 am and said goodby to Oriane, Chrina, Tobin, Holly and Cami. The rest of us continued our journey to Wells. Thank you for the beautiful presents we received on our arrival and for your kind messages, emails and all your support of me and the team, and mostly a big thank you to all 15 pupils who made this trip one for the books! Thank you Dimity, Emily, Ella, Gabby, Cami, Eva, Oriane, Nina, Chrina, Ellie, Holly (OW), Alex, Kelvin, Tobin and Theo. And of course thank you to Naughty Neil, Jammy Jack (who decided to stay over a few extra days) and Shimmy Shelley- a great team! So here our final thoughts... Final thoughts by ‘Naughty” Neil Bowen So another unforgettable Salone comes to the end. This one we have had to deal with more illness among the team than usual, but spirits have remained high. The burden of dealing with illness fell most heavily on Jules and we are all grateful to her for the indefatigable and highly capable way she managed the situation. As ever, the standout moments of the trip were when our pupils interacted with Salone children. Each year I am struck by the sheer joy of this experience and by the openness and friendliness of both the hosts and the visitors. Another standout moment for me was the sight of Mr Coward turning down food. Normally Jack ‘three pies’ has what might be called a healthy appetite, so he really must have been feeling rough to eschew the chance to enjoy a lunch of chicken and rice after the epic inter school football match. That he was still there lending his support to the team though clearly feeling under the weather and suffering from the intense heat is a testament of the supportive spirit of the whole team. Every single member of the team can be proud of their contribution - they were all fantastic ambassadors for our school. Of course, Jack will be much missed next year, but one consolation is that, at least, there’ll be a substantial saving on the food budget! Final thoughts by “Shimmy” Shelley Deans Thank you Ballanta , JTR, all the fantastic schools we visited, Freetown, and Sierra Leone for an incredible shared experience with wonderful colleagues and pupils. This was without exception the most enriching school experience I have had the privilege to be a part of. The highlight for me was observing how beautifully, skilfully and sensitively our pupils interacted with the children, educators and people of Sierra Leone; they were an inspiration and a credit to their families and our school community. We were immersed in music, dance , drama , culture, conservation, , delicious food, colour , vibrancy, education , love , joy and hope for 10 days, leaving an indelible mark on all our souls. “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” Maya Angelou Final thoughts and reflections by ‘General Juicy’ Jules Desmarchelier This trip was always going to be my last one, for a while at least, and so it was always going to be an odd one, full of mixed emotions. In fact, this trip has proven to be one of a kind! After a great journey on the way there, we started all well and good on Saturday 21st… but by 4 pm on our first day, we had our first heat exhaustion. This was not anything that we had not experienced during the other trips, but usually, it happened more towards the end! This was the beginning of a week of off and on sickness amongst our 15 pupils, including a trip to the local, and may I say rather better organised than some I have experienced in the UK, hospital. I had always been worried about having to take a pupil or a member of staff for fears of the unknown I suppose. But what this has shown me, is that if you are sick and can afford the bills, then you will receive excellent care (and yes it does mean a divide in society, as those who cannot afford it or have no insurance, have to go to the other hospital in town). This also served to remind me how much things have changed in Freetown since my first trip and why I love this place so much, and why I believe it is such a life changing experience for our pupils, that far outweighs the potential health issues we encounter.

Our arrival was a million miles from our previous ones, with a brand new sparkling International airport, sleek passport control and even sleeker transfer to the Sea coach buses to go down to the ferry port… On a brand new road courtesy of Chinese investment, no great gaping hole like last year forcing us to take a detour. Even more new restaurants along Lumley Beach Road- still without running water unfortunately, where once there was nothing but corrugated iron with beautiful paintings.

And yet, so many things have not changed: the warmth of the people of Sierra Leone, the poverty at every corner and the love towards our pupils at both Ballanta and JT Reffell.

Despite the illness, I was proud to see our pupils’ resilience and to see them bounced back after their recovery. It was hard as they are not used to this type of climate, but they ploughed on and fought valiantly. Does it make me question the validity of this trip? Of course it does… but ultimately, I believe that this is a wonderful eye opener for our pupils, an opportunity to experience something unique, and to feel that they can be themselves and make a difference. It was wonderful to see them appreciate talent in the least expected of places and embrace the Salonean culture, join in and even already talk of coming back. They hated me for pulling them out of Big Market where the haggling was mind boggling! It was lovely seeing them all wear their African outfits on our return journey today, bringing some warmth in the English countryside.

So, yes it was a stressful trip, as any parents would worry if their child was feeling unwell in an unknown environment, but our pupils made it a very enjoyable trip, full of laughters and music. Over the last 8 years or so, we have taken nearly 100 pupils to this magic place, and all have become part of the Sierra Leone Project, spreading the word about what we do there and the importance of such relationships with the Ballanta Academy of Music and Performing Arts. There are too many memories for me, but no matter which group we take, the people of Sierra Leone and the Country will always stay in my heart.

I shall remain at the helm of the Project and organise future trips, but for now, Shimmy Shelley has agreed to return next year, which is great! It has been a pleasure taking our pupils there, and I want other members of staff to discover Salone and fall in love with it. For now, I shall cherish the memories and friends I have made with the people I have met. TENKI as they say in Krio for the music and for the opportunities.

I shall leave you with something that has stayed with me since the first time I visited the Don Bosco Orphanage:

Child you are a special person You have talents and skills for you to develop and grow Always think of your rights, they protect you from them when they treat you badly Your are the future of the country You have the power to change the world because you are the world. Until next time, I very much feel like this little guy, left behind on the beach…