July 22. Hello, My Name is Charles!

Unexpected leaving is sad. I thought I had been the best, but I realized that it was not true. I might make a rough guess that I can get to know National Office staffs little by little since I have enough time until September. Unfortunately, time does not permit me to stay in Sierra Leone long enough as I have expected. I am leaving this week!

If I could put the clock back, I would never think “I can do this later.” People are the most precious assets to me. If I went back to the beginning, I would take pictures with people. I just had thought that I could take pictures after getting friendly with them. But I was wrong; I did not even have time to say my farewells to people in Mattru. I have to trust largely to my memory how Sherbro Island and Mattru people look like because I have no pictures of them. 

Better late than never! Although I may have only one week to stay in Sierra Leone, I still have time to get to know National Office (NO) staffs. Just walking away from this Ebola crisis without saying anything to staffs whom I have not talked would not be good for me. This place is their home; they were born here, grew up here, and still live here. They may keep staying here no matter what Ebola is going on in the future. I just do not want to look like escaping. I do love people here, food here, and home here.

I want to explore the 2nd floor of this building!

There are more than 60 NO staffs in World Vision Sierra Leone (WVSL), and I may know 30 staffs at the most. There are two buildings, and both are two-story building. I have spent most of my time in Ministry Quality (MQ) department office on the ground floor and have never looked around 2^nd floor at both buildings. I go to another ground floor of opposite building every day because I eat lunch there! While I was eating Jollof rice with fish for lunch, I asked Jerimaya, Child Health Now (CHN) coordinator on the same ground floor as me, “Do you go upstairs often?” “No, just twice so far,” said Jerimaya.

Q. “What departments are there upstairs?”

A. “Sponsorship department.”

Q. “Then, how often do you see sponsorship staffs?”

A. “Only during devotion time in the morning.”

Q. “Is there group gathering that everyone can join?”

A. “Hmm… (He thought for a while.) Yes! During the annual finance meeting!”

Yes, staffs usually work with their team, and they do not have to, or they have no chance to meet staffs in other departments. Even if bureaucracy separates official relationship between Sponsorship department and me, I would like to go there and say hi! After lunch, I decided to visit 2^nd floor. Suddenly, I was reluctant to go; what if they are so busy with their work and ignore me? What if they ask me “Who are you?” But I took my courage to go up the stairs and open the door. Wow… new place… I inched my way through the narrow passage and tried to find what inner door I need to open again to say hello. I just entered through a random hallway. Yes, I found the Sponsorship sign on the door! I did not know whether I was allowed to enter here, but I just came in and say, “Hello, Mr. John!” Luckily, I saw Mr. John here, who I met for the first time during my today's breakfast time outside. As always, when I say “Hello! My name is Charles!” to staff who I am not familiar with, they say, “I know!” All staffs know my name, but I do not still know all of their names… That is unfair! We may already met and exchanged names, but I forget his name in the blink of an eye. Or, I was the only one who introduced myself in front of groups, and they got my name, but they have never told their names to me. Still, many staffs tell me, “Hello, Charles!” but I do not still know their names, so I only say “H...Hello!!” without saying their names.

Okay… Let me back to the basic. I want to have your name! I am sorry if I ask your name again. I am ready. “Hello! My name is Charles!”

“I know!” No wonder, she answered.

“What’s your name?”

“Awa!” (Sorry, spelling may be wrong…)

"I came here to say hello! Because I've never been here."

She smiled and said, "No, you already came here one time." 

"No. When did I?"

"You introduced yourself when you came to the office for the first time."

Staffs in the same MQ department room:
Michael Belmoh (left), and Momoh Juanah (right)

Oh... I do not completely remember that I came here. I must have been confusing and embarrassing to follow my supervisor, Michael Belmoh, around on the first day. I actually met almost everyone from the beginning, but my memory is absolutely blank whether it did really happened.  

There were two other staffs in the small room. So I whispered to John, “Mr. John! Can you tell me what are their names over there?” “Silvia and Dominic,” said John.

I talked with Sponsorship staffs shortly, and said, “I will be back tomorrow!”

I met Youngo (Sorry about spelling again…) and she explained kindly what she works for as a Gift In Kind (GIK) coordinator. PUR P&G water packet boxes were stacked up in the space, and she pointed out huge containers through the window. She receives and keeps all kinds of gift, aids, and supplies and distributes them to Base and Area Development Programme (ADP) level. I was glad to hear from her that one of Support Offices (SO) in the world is World Vision South Korea. South Korea have been overcoming Korean War, and becoming the powerful nation that can support grants and supplies to African countries. I believe Sierra Leone World Vision will also achieve its position to help other countries in the future.

On the contrary to my initial anxiety, it was fun and good to meet people at the opposite building. What was I hesitating to? To some extent, I may have to say hello in the morning and say goodbye in the afternoon on the same day to some staff this week; nevertheless, it is always good for me to know people around me. WVSL! I am leaving soon. I am sad. Though absent in body, I am present with you in spirit!