I’m settling in quite well into our home. I sit on the veranda a lot, where I have a good view of the mountains, the beach, and my dog Sheba. I miss my family terribly though! I’ve been away from them for 2 1/2 months now and it has been very difficult for them and…
It’s been a tough two weeks, but I finally sense some calmness rolling through. Work has been hectic – there is so much to do, and I have had to travel up country frequently. I had also frantically been trying to put the finishing touches on our house and get the generator installed so that…
Last week was our Papa’s 85th birthday and we had a wonderful birthday party! We have every reason to celebrate – the life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 50 years, so it is truly a remarkable feat and a blessing for us to be able to celebrate his 85th birthday. It seems that every other…
The goats at Papa’s house are so darn cute! There are somewhere between 3 to 6 of them – I’m not sure of the exact number because they run away when I get too close, especially when Sheba is around. There is a black one, a brown and white one, a mostly brown one, and…
I had NO intentions of becoming a builder, but here I am, deep in building construction! When we decided to move to Freetown, we weighed all the pros and cons of different living arrangements. Should we move in with my Dad? He lived in a massive house with a huge yard – the kids would…
I conquered one of my biggest fears today – driving in Freetown. Driving in Freetown is not for the faint of heart – and my heart is very faint – so faint, it can barely generate a pulse! The city is congested – there are cars, Okadas (motorcycle taxis), a new 3-wheeled contraption that I…
Today marks the end of my first week in Freetown – a week filled with beauty and a week filled with death. Flying into the Sierra Leonean airport at Lungi, you are captivated by the beauty of the lush green forest that touches the Atlantic Ocean. As your plane descends, you see coconut trees lining golden sand…
Leaving Atlanta was really hard because I left my husband and kids – they will join me once school ends in May. I had never been away from my kids for 2 months before. How would they cope? Would they have enough food to eat? How would my husband cope with everything alone? What about…
In a few weeks, I will be leaving the US and returning to Sierra Leone. When I left 26 years ago, I was a scared girl of 15 who wanted to be a doctor. Not just any doctor, I specifically wanted to be a doctor who would keep women from dying in childbirth. I vividly…
Dr. Fatu Forna is a global obstetrician-gynaecologist, author, philanthropist, and advocate for the reproductive health of women.
