What started as an awareness raising and ethnographic styled walk through Sierra Leone, this site now details the encounters of a not so academic academic who spends more time occupying Wall Street and squats than a university...
So the main project that we are focusing on right now is solar street lamps for the city of Makeni. In looking at the three projects that I came back from Sierra Leone with this one seems to be the most attainable at this point. Granted there is an awful lot to do between now and instalation, including sorting through Sierra Leone's entire governmental apparatus. But as it is, right now it really looks to be the most feasible. The brick project requires a lot in terms of expertise, local business infrastructure, and time in country. It is also a commitment for a longer term production process. The solar street lamp project on the other hand is a one-off endeavor with a definite start, end, and result. This I think is best for setting up this business endeavor in Sierra Leone. Lessons will of course be learned during the process that could easily be used to set up a better production scenario in our other endeavors. It also can be a solid revenue generator in a shorter fixed term. Source the lamps, ship them, install them, done. It's obviously much more complicated, but not like the brick project's open-ended scenario including local production facilities, local sales teams, local distribution networks, local management, and permanent staff. It is a huge commitment that needs time and planning. By focusing on the lamps, we can work through the planning of the bricks at the same time without as much risk.
The Lamps are an intricate process as well though. We have to source the lamps and the poles and ship them to Sierra Leone, where they will have to pass through customs and the entire African shipping process. From there we have to arrange transport to Makeni and storage for them. Local labor and materials will be needed for the installation and setup. The lights themselves are easy to assemble and put up, but the poles would be more difficult as getting them set permanently in the ground brings challenges in a city that still shows some of the effects of war.
All this is coupled with the governmental aspect of the project. This would be an open bid through the governments procurement process. Which I would imagine is a road that will have its share of winding turns... Also financing the project will be quite delicate. There would be some advanced governmental payment for the contract. This would then need to be balanced with the down payments and extensions of credit negotiated with suppliers. We may need to stagger the delivery and installation of the lamps in order to be able to balance the whole project. This of course is not the way we'd want to do it as it would cost more on the whole in both money and time, but if this is what allows us to get the contract done, then it would be worth it to establish the company and its credit. If we do a good job, there will be more cities looking for lights. Have to start somewhere. We will see...
But on the whole it seems like a good place to start. Straight forward, one-off, deliverable project, with a good revenue upside. With this one done, we could fund the brick making project, an internet/office facility in Sierra Leone, and set up Newburgh so we could run the diaspora funding network from there and then some local programs as well. Giddie up!!
I still have a post to finish about positive developments with the Gamechangers athletics/track project, but while I am working on that I still have had a few other time sensitive things that need to be handled this week. Wednesday is my second vaccination cycle - second round of Hep A/B and the Yellow Fever and Typhoid (both of which I have to get a prescription for). Trying to get my self clean and healthy to make it easier to handle. Should be interesting.
I need to get more contact lens as well. I have been using the same prescription and "one year supply" of contacts since 2006. lol. One year my butt. ;) But I don't have enough now to be certain if something happens while I'm there, and my glasses are from 2003/a mess. I can't afford glasses as well, but contacts are a must. Sadly though, in the US in order to order new ones you have to have a prescription from within one year - 2006 obviously doesn't qualify!! lol. So working on getting something together for that.
Still working on funding, if anyone wants to donate... now is the time!! I leave in less than a month and am down to the bottom of my budget. I want to say thank you to the few people that have already. You know who you are!!
I also have started thinking more about my stove situation. I want to use an aluminum can stove as it would be light and easy. But I need to use denatured alcohol (methylated spirits, grain alcohol, rubbing alcohol, etc.) and I am not sure of availability over there, thus an inquiry is in order. I found one typical backpacker stove that uses three different kinds of fuel (including gasoline) here which would have been ideally versatile - but it costs $125, so I'm gonna try the can stove first. Maybe try to make it this afternoon...
On Thursday, right after Wednesday's vaccinations, I believe that I will be headed in to NYC to apply for my visa. We shall see how that goes, but it is something that I am actually quite looking forward to. Not sure why, maybe another finality thing. I've also been trying to get some work done while in the Hammock, but not so comfortable to type in there. It needs a pillow of some sort for sure to keep your head up. Ok, so I need to get back to work. Hope you are enjoying your day.
So I decided to spend the night outside in the hammock last night. What I was thinking I am not sure. The temperature was 50F (10C) when I went out there at about midnight. After jostling around trying to get it all situated I pretty much wide awake so it took a while to get to sleep. I slept pretty soundly until about 3am when I woke up and was freezing. I had taken a down comforter that was a possibility to go with me to SL, and had clothes on, but it just wasn't enough. Once I got inside I realized it was 46F (8C) out, the coldest it apparently ever gets in Sierra Leone is about 60F (15.5C) at night. Not the best test environment, but what choice do I have?
Anyway, I learned a few things. Sleeping in a hammock is not difficult, but sleeping in something in a hammock is a different story. Everything slouches down towards the middle. So you end up with your feet and head sticking out of whatever your in. Not a bad thing if it isn't too cold. Sleeping bags come back to mind as you can just simply get in them before you even get in to the hammock and your in! But who wants to be in a sleeping bag rated for 40F (4.5C) when its 80F (26.5C) outside when you get in it? This sleeping scenario seems so simple... but it is HAUNTING ME!!! lol.. ;)
Dan?!?! My REI superman... was mistaken when he told me that my cookware was titanium, its aluminum. I am not sure if you know that aluminum is actually not that great to cook on. Some of the metal leaches into your food, which is of course not good. So I may have to look at this again. I also went out running last night with my headlamp and it didn't get the job done. I got a light weight one from Petzl and the strap doesn't seem to be working well, not very secure. I tried another one on while I was there and it seemed more stable, so I will probably exchange it. The way the light worked wasn't really ideal either, so we will see how another one works out. All told, I will be exchanging much of what I bought, the steripen, the headlamp, perhaps the the cookware (beggars may not always choose...), and even the camelbak bladder I bought doesn't have a valve to shut off the water (which I've already had an issue with on my other one). The beauty of REI though is that they have the 100% satisfaction guarantee. Meaning I can just go in and exchange them. Fabulous store.
My finances are back to possibly being perilous as well, so I need to be careful about everything. I had been told I would be getting unemployment, however, that may not be the case now. Back to square one...
On a side note, I wanted to say that it had been a bit since I checked in on Crisis Watch (pdf), which is a great piece of information put out by Crisis Group. And there it was - no Sierra Leone! This group and publication specifically tracks crisis and war across the globe, and it has no mention of Sierra Leone at all. In other words, its not in danger of a crisis!!
So I got vaccinated today!! Not quite what I expected though. I thought I was getting a number of vaccines today but needed to get a prescription for Yellow Fever and Typhoid, which I didn't have, so I will have to wait for that until when I go back for the second sets of Hepatitis A/B in September. So I guess that means I am definitely going to be waiting to get my visa.
I also wanted to publicly thank my grandparents for donating to me the costs for the vaccinations, my first aid kit, and contacts for the trip. I can't say enough how much their donation really put me back within striking range of coming up with the money that I will need to make the trip work.
I spent some time today working on a possible project to talk to Child Help Sierra Leone about. We'll see, very much premature, but so are the funding deadlines for it as well!! Anyway, I am getting really backed up on getting things written down, but am hoping to get some time to just write over the next couple days. More soon...
So I am trying a little experiment using google docs in an effort both not to lose my work so quickly, and also in respect to the idea of use this format while I am in Sierra Leone (as you can see by the formats on this post, the experiment didn't go so well). Who knows what could happen over three months time out on my own in every corner of Sierra Leone. It would be a travesty if I have a lot of things written and saved on the computer and then something happens to the computer and everything is then gone!! So I will be trying to work with google docs a bit to see if it could be an avenue worth using. So I’m writing this there first, and then will copy paste into the blogger program.
Yesterday seemed to be a fairly progressive day. I spent a good deal of time on the phone with my father (technology advisor). We were trying to talk through the computer and phone set up that I will use there. I put another email in to “Cyril”, my contact with Zain telecom in Sierra Leone, asking what seems like the last substantial question. He recommended a Nokia N series phone for internet browsing there, and my question is; is this if I want to have internet capabilities on my phone, as opposed to on my computer via my phone? Basically, can any phone plug into a computer and connect it to the Internet? All phones need to have the right SIM card (smart chip) configuration - which they can easily do there - but do I need to spend $400 on a smart phone that does all the same things as a computer or can a regular phone let me just use the computer for my needs? Zain also has the modem that you plug into the computer and connect from there. I just don’t want to spend money I don’t have. At the same time though, I have to go prepared for all or I might get nothing. Tricky.
Ideally, should money not be an issue, I’d get both, but this is not the loosest budget out there!! lol. There is always the old option of just a smart phone and a keyboard, but fact is, I need a computer. I need it now, and after no matter what, so I have to start here. I was looking at the number of posts I have had and since my computer died, my posts and productivity has dropped a lot. I can’t have that happen, need to keep pushing. So the computer has to be purchased. My father and I have for months been talking about the ASUS Eee netbook and honed in on more specifics. He did some research after the conversation and he sent me the specs on one that seems to match the criteria:
Asus Eee PC 1001PX-MU27-BK Seashell 10.1 inch Atom N450/ 1GB/ 160GB/ Windows 7 Starter Netbook Computer Specifications * Mfr Part Number: 1001PX-MU27-BK * Processor: Intel Atom N450 (1.66GHz, 512KB L2 Cache) * Memory: 1GB DDR2 SODIMM memory, Max Capacity upto 2GB * Display: 10.1" WSVGA (1024x600) Non-Glare Screen LCD w/ LED-backlit * Graphics Module: Integrated Graphics Controller * Hard Disk: 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive * Audio: Integrated Hi-Definition Audio CODEC; Built-in Speakers and Microphone * Connectivity: Fast Ethernet; 802.11b/g Wireless LAN * Interface: 2x USB 2.0 Ports; 1x VGA Port; 1x RJ45 LAN Port; 1x Microphone-in; 1x Headphone-out * Card Reader: 3-in-1 Card Reader, Support MMC/ SD/ SDHC * Camera: Built-in 0.3 Megapixel Camera * Battery Pack & life: 6 cells Lithium Battery, upto 9 hours * Color: Black * Dimension(WxDxH): 262 x 178 x 25.9 ~ 36.5 mm * Weight: 1.27 kg * Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Starter
I had seen longer battery life, and a better webcam, but as he said: “there are going to be trade offs and balances” and 1.27 kg is one fabulous trade off. That’s 2.8 pounds with a 9 hour battery. Those two are really my key concerns (as well as temperature) and I think this machine will do a good job with those key concerns. I saw online that bluetooth was optional for this machine, and that would be something I would need to try to get if it isnt’ already included, but otherwise this looks pretty good. The one discussion that we did have that is a bit disappointing was regarding the operating system. I would like to use Linux as it is open source and thus much more in tune with my ideals. There are however legitimate concerns over whether a phone’s software package would work with Linux, so this may not be an option at this time. I will however be running through the city tomorrow and perhaps will look for a Nokia store to ask a few questions. It may be easier to get answers from them than Sierra Leone as the questions are more technical than country specific.
So there you have it, that was yesterday. Close to solidifying another item. As for this google docs experiment, my web browser has crashed twice in the writing of this and the doc was still there. So that’s good, but how quickly does it auto save?? If I erase all now will I loose it?? Experimenting... NO!!! I won’t, I just deleted it and let the auto save do its thing, but I still was able to use the back arrow. Why can’t google do that for its Blogger software just as it does it for this software? Hmmm... the world is of course a mystery after all...
Whooopss... something seems to not be working so well with the copy pasting and formats from google docs... pictures are not going in right, and font is off at spots... I wrote this post in less than an hour, and its been another hour plus just to get it into blogger with pics... wasted time... and now I'm late...
So despite the depressing time I just spent looking at the finances, I have ponied up and bought the Hammock and the Backpack. I've gotta get out on the trail here and experiment. I need to sort out the sleeping bag situation and the only way to know is to experiment. If I can get into the woods and sleep in lighter clothes and/or a blanket then I don't need to spend the $280 on a bag. Money I don't have. I did save a total of $70 off my budget between the two things. May not seem like much, but it really helps with things as they look right now... One step at a time right?? ;)
So just as I was sitting here this morning struggling with budgets and whether I should really take a sleeping bag or not (given warm temperatures), Vibram comes back with a resounding no. There was no reason given, but I would imagine my project may just be way to complicated for them or that there is perhaps not nearly enough guaranteed exposure. Doesn't matter... sad day. How do I get my hands on a couple of pairs of Vibrams without having to pay $200?? Maybe I can try to get them at cost from somewhere but I just simply can't afford any of this. My budget has gone up and the expected funding has gone down.
So as things are slowly coming together, so is the financial picture. And it is not pretty. I suppose as the nature of this venture is non-profit, open, and charitable, there are no secrets!! So here is my current financial report, for Friday the 13th, August 2010!!
In July and August thus far I have spent $95 on car insurance, $40 on gas (yeah I don't leave the house - I can't afford it!!), $27 on my phone, $50 on food (in addition to food stamps), and $50 cash which has some gas in there and a $16 book for my mom. Not like I'm living it up. But car insurance and gas kill you (I hate cars by the way;), and I still have to cover those costs for two more months. Unfortunately when I was planning my trip I was planning on leaving about now. Thus I do not have the next couple months budgeted in - this will hurt. Someone needs to hire people to just go around and help people!! What a great job that would be, from old ladies crossing the street to charity walks in Africa!! I'll take an application pleeeaaaaase!!
As for my budget for the trip itself, I am not far off on this. I had been figuring $4000 total, $2000 to get there, $1000 while there, and $1000 to get ready. My logic was that I would do it all on a shoe string as this is the way I live life anyway and don't have the means to do otherwise anyway!! Where I seem to have come to a problem is the things that have been added, or the budgeted amount doesn't get you quality materials for this type of journey.
So I just got it up a couple days ago, but it was hidden at the very bottom of the page and not sure anyone got that far!! As things are, the budget for this little jaunt just keeps growing. :-/ As anyone that knows me knows, I'm as frugal (cheap) as they come. But there are limits even to my capabilities!! Trying to get things that are both light and functional is tough. Unfortunately living out of a backpack for three months is tricky, so anyone interesting in donating, I've put a 'Donations' button on the right side of the main page (it can also be accessed below).
I have also started a supply registry with myregistry.com. It is a bit tricky adding things as you have to have an exact item you want. I tend to work more in generalities. But I will try to be more concrete and find the exact things needed. But it is a start at this point...
Anyway, feel free to take a look, make suggestions, advice, whatever... all of those things are always needed!! And if there is something specific you would like to give that isn't on the list, by all means let me know...
So what needs to be done in order to make this trip happen? I would hope that this could become an open forum from those of you reading it. Please either just put a comment down below, or send them in, as you wish. I think the best thing for me with it though will be to put down the broad strokes here, and then to go through each list (and its progress) separately and periodically. I'm going to link each heading to a search for that topic (some don't have anything written yet though) so you can easily see what's been written if you'd like.
US based sponsors - I will be looking at companies such as Vibram and other similar businesses with specific interests in what i will be doing to help either with products and/or financial support.
US based individuals and organizations that are affiliated in some way with Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone based organizations and individuals that can help facilitate things on the ground during my trip.
English is the 'official' language of the country, but Krio is the lingua franca and the one that I need to be working on. I've been meaning to post of this for a while and will soon.
There are also many other tribal languages that I will try to have pleasantries down with. The two main one's are Mende and Temne.
Accommodation for when I first get in. (am thinking to spend the first couple days in the cheapest place I can find to get past jet-lag and get acclimated.)
I find myself just assuming I've left some really important thing out - like 'breathing' or something - but this will have to be the start. And again, by all means, add all the comments or responses you can. I need the most exhaustive list I can!!
