SCAW Blog: Sierra Leone, 2025: October 29

Fun on the last day! 

125 mattresses greeted us as we drove into the school we have used for the last 4 days. 

While the children were being gathered, our fearless leader was entertaining the children in somewhat of an unorthodox way  by blowing bubbles and then eating them! Imagine the look on their faces! 😝

Some children laughed but, better yet, some wanted to try it themselves. 

Once the children had all arrived the distribution ran smoothly and we completed another successful distribution. Thanks SCAW donors for your commitment to the children. 

Team Sierra Leone, 2025

Eco-Soap Bank 🇸🇱 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sierra Leone, 2025: October 28

Freetown, Sierra Leone: Street Living

The streets of Sierra Leone are different than any other country I have visited. It is just a different look, feel, energy, sound and smell.

Sierra Leoneans use the streets of their cities as their living space which includes kitchen, living area and sometimes bedroom. It is their market, place of business, place to socialize and have fun. Please look at the 2-minute slow motion street scene video and the sights will fill in the absent sounds and smells.

Other visuals: ice cream vendor selling cones for 20 cents, wood fired clothing iron in a tailor shop, a furniture maker, barber shop, belching exhausts, amazing side streets, entertaining moto-taxi signs (called Ke Keh in Sierra Leone), and (perhaps tongue in cheek) Submissive Wife Restaurant and Husband is the Head Supermarket, football practice on the beach at sunset and so much more.

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This is a fascinating country!

Team Sierra Leone, 2025

Eco-Soap Bank 🇸🇱 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sierra Leone, 2025: October 27

Thank you

A simple "thank you" can change everything - it turns strangers into friends

and moments into memories.

English is spoken in Sierra Leone, and throughout the day, it rings out across our SCAW distribution.

Thank you from each of our 22 volunteers (many teachers), as we present them with a simple pin - a symbol of friendship between Canada and Sierra Leone.

Thank you from our overseas partners - this being our first SCAW distribution in Sierra Leone, they have worked tirelessly to make it the success it is.

Thank you from every child who receives a SCAW bedkit and all its treasures.

Many thank-yous from the parents and their communities. And thank you to the tailors who, in 6 weeks, made 500 sets of clothing, the backpacks, the fitted bedsheets and the pillow cases!

Thank you to our driver, who ensures we arrive safely at each distribution and back home again.

And finally, thank you to all our SCAW donors for creating so many thank-yous.

Team Sierra Leone, 2025

Eco-Soap Bank 🇸🇱 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sierra Leone, 2025: October 26

A New Adventure Begins

For the first time in SCAW history we have a team on the ground in Sierra Leone, Africa!

After an almost 2 hour drive along the beautiful countryside of Freetown we entered the small village of Waterloo. Eco-Soap Bank approached Sleeping Children about 7 years ago and with true diligence they responded to the requirements necessary to be accepted as a new Overseas Partner. 

This morning we met at the Eco-Soap storage facility. This husband and wife team employ 25 unskilled workers who re-cycle used bars of soaps shipped from all over the United States to a factory here in the small community of Waterloo. Scraps of unused soaps from hotels across the country go to schools with challenged students, orphanages, detention centres and other schools! They work with 4 major international organizations including World Vision. 

They connected with Sleeping Children Around the World all from a random Google search! On a trial basis the team is here to deliver 500 bedkits to children from 4 different schools who need them the most in the Waterloo community. They have worked with the teachers and the community leaders and, along with 20 volunteers, we were able to enrich the lives of 125 students today. We delivered the bedkits in a roped-off area identical to the daily flow chart that was presented to them as new OVPs (Overseas Volunteer Partners) . 

Since it was Sunday we were surprised to see the children in their uniforms to receive their gifts.

We head back to the same site tomorrow to welcome another school so stay tuned!

Team Sierra Leone, 2025

Eco-Soap Bank 🇸🇱 + SCAW 🇨🇦

SCAW Blog: Sierra Leone, 2025: October 25

From Togo to Sierra Leone Travel Day

With lots of hugs for Messenh, Frida and Dosseh we left Togo for a relatively smooth flight to Siera Leone. The only serious delay was Sue Small had so charmed the people of Togo, they didn’t want her to leave and after an hour of delays and filling out extra forms her passport was finally stamped, and we made our flight!

As you can see from the map, Freetown Airport is a ferry ride to the city of Freetown and we enjoyed a beautiful 40-minute trip with a sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.

We also made new friends (with the beautiful earrings) as you can see in the photo below.

We are excited to meet the new group in Sierra Leone for our very first distribution in this country!

Team Sierra Leone, 2025

Eco-Soap Bank 🇸🇱 + SCAW 🇨🇦