Beautiful Sierra Leone

Kusheh ow di bohdi?
Hello how's your body? This lens is about Sierra Leone and tangents and

segues. It's about organizations like Kiva, First Step Children's Fund, and

Friends of Sierra Leone that are making a difference one friend at a time.

KIVA
IOW: How I Got Involved In Microfinance
When I 1st read about Kiva signed up and loaned $ to a couple entrepreneurs

in Sierra Leone. Because of recent interest in Kiva through Oprah, The Today

Show, and Bill Clinton's new book Giving you might find this notice on their

website:

"Congratulations Kiva Lenders!

We've funded EVERY business on the site!!
Your loans are now on their way to the developing world. Those of you who

have been with us for a while probably know that this has something to do

with the recent glowing press we've received and the record traffic that has

come along with it.

First time visitors can rest assured - The Kiva team and our Field Partners

around the globe are hard at work receiving and approving new loan

applications right now. We hope to have more businesses posted on the site

within 24 hours..."

Amazing what $25, the cost of a large pizza with the works, can do and all it

took was was a "click".

FIRST STEP CHILDREN'S FUND
IOW: How I Got Involved With An Orphanage

Pretty much everything begins with one step. First Step Children's Fund is

the same way. How did I learn about them? Well, it was through the son of one

of the owners of Aries Aviation. There was a group of us discussing the book

Blood Diamonds when Don mentioned Håkon's orphanage in Sierra Leone.

Afterwards I asked him for their website. The Hasting's Children Center

started in 2004 and looks after street children.

Knowing both owners of Aries for 15+ years and having worked with Håkon's

wife, Calida since 1997 off and on before I finally met her in 2005, I was

comfortable in supporting this orphanage. I met Håkon at a Christmas party in

2006. They are good people. Working in the industry that they do they see

much of the world. 100% goes straight to the orphanage. FSCF succeeded in

obtaining approval from Revenue Canada as a charitable organization in May

2006.

FRIENDS OF SIERRA LEONE (FoSL)
IOW: How I Learned About Friends Of Sierra Leone
It started with a conversation. I have a friend who was born in Sierra Leone

and now calls Canada his home. He was talking about all the Peace Corps

Volunteers he had grown up with in Sierra Leone.
It amazed me that he remembered them all as if it was yesterday. He spoke of

them like family...Big Jim, Little Jim, Peggy, Michael, etc. He remembered

full names, what they liked, how they helped him, who they married, how many

children they had, and in some cases where they were today.

His brother had told him that there was a group called Friends of Sierra

Leone, but he had never found them on the internet. When I got a minute I did

a search and found a variety of links. It wasn't until I opened Friends of

Sierra Leone that I thought this might be the website. I recognized many of

the names that he had told me in his wonderful stories of growing up. I sent

him the link. It WAS the site and now he's able to keep in touch with just a

click of a mouse. The internet is amazing!

KUSHEH OW DI BOHDI
IOW: A Woman & A Man
What? I laugh as he repeats. "Coo-shay at a body (that what it sounds like to

me). Next time you see him, tell him that. He'll love it." I continue to

laugh as I'm not sure what he's saying or if it's something I should repeat.

Let alone to a man I like.

Again I repeat, "What does it mean?"

Apparently, in Sierra Leone this is a typical greeting. Like when we say "

Hello. How are you?" kusheh ow di bodhi is Krio, which is a creole language

derived from English. It literally means, "Hello. How's your body?"
Well, it sounds okay. Although I'm still laughing. I mean is this really

something I want to say to man I like? I mean, okay, IT is something I'd like

to say to a man I like...just don't want to say it if it means the wrong

thing. You know?

A quick internet search leads me to the correct spelling. I practice and

practice. Then, a week later, the day arrives. A knock on my door and there's

my handsome friend. "Kusheh ow di bohdi?" springs forth from my lips and is

met with the biggest smile ever along with a laugh and a murmur..."heh-heh-

heh. kusheh ow di bohdi. heh-heh-heh. Where did you learn that?" as he hugs

me tight.

The internet is great. As are people we meet along the way that just happen

to have friends from Sierra Leone. A friend was able to tell me what to say.

The internet helped me to spell it. Nice. Very nice.

FEED A MIND
IOW: Open A Door

Organizations like Books for Africa have been sending needed books to Africa

for over two decades. You can help by donating books or money.

It really doesn't take much to change a life…