This month’s blog is written by Henry Ellis, who is currently cycling from London to South Africa to raise funds for Network for Africa.
Nine months ago, I left South London on my bike. Since then I’ve crossed Europe, North Africa and much of West Africa, while raising money for Network for Africa, and Mind in the UK.
When I reached Sierra Leone, I spent four days in Port Loko with Network for Salone, Network for Africa’s long term partner providing community mental health support in Sierra Leone. It was the first time I’d seen firsthand some of the work the fundraising was helping to support.
For most of the journey, the rhythm has been simple: cycle, find somewhere to sleep, eat, repeat. So spending four days in Port Loko was a change of pace.
Port Loko has been particularly affected by two events in Sierra Leone’s recent history. It was heavily impacted by the country’s 11-year civil war, and in 2014 it was hit harder than any other district during the Ebola epidemic. The consequences of both are still felt by communities today.
On my first day, I visited a community supported by Network for Salone. The building we were sitting in had been burned to the ground during the civil war, before being rebuilt by the community. Listening to people talk about what they had experienced, in a building they had rebuilt themselves, brought home the scale of what had happened in a way that reading about the history never could.
Over the following days, I visited two more communities and a vocational training centre supported by Network for Salone. The centre gives young people who have received mental health support from Network for Salone practical skills through classes in computing, cooking, tailoring and hair braiding.
The hair-braiding class was particularly memorable. The girls decided to practise on me, and I ended up liking the braids enough to seriously consider keeping them full-time. Then came another surprise. I watched some of the students making a shirt, assuming it was part of the tailoring demonstration. It turned out they were making it for me. Realising I was going to leave with it was an amazing surprise, and probably one of the more memorable souvenirs I’ve picked up during the journey.
On my final day, we visited a community established after the civil war for people who had suffered amputations by rebel forces. Hearing their experiences was difficult, but I was struck by the sense of community they had built despite everything that had happened.
I hadn’t appreciated how limited mental health services are in Sierra Leone. An estimated 98% of people living with mental health conditions receive no treatment. In a Port Loko – a district of more than 650,000 people – there is just one mental health nurse.
That makes the work of Network for Salone and Network for Africa particularly important. Over those four days, I saw firsthand just how much their work matters. From supporting communities still dealing with the consequences of traumatic histories, to giving young people skills and opportunities for the future, I saw the practical difference their support was making.
Mental health is a particularly personal reason for me to be doing this journey, which is why I chose to raise money for Network for Africa in the first place. Spending time in Port Loko gave me a much better understanding of the work the fundraising supports, and made the connection between the money raised and the people it reaches much more tangible.
The next morning, I got back on my bike and headed south towards Freetown. I left Port Loko with a new shirt, a slightly different perspective on the journey, and, somewhat unexpectedly, a new hairstyle. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for the next place I can get it done!
If you’d like to support the work of Network for Africa and Mind, you can donate here.
I’m now in Liberia and you can also follow the rest of the journey on Instagram: @anotherbloodycyclist
Henry Ellis