8/2/2019 An unexpected experience of a volunteer from Sierra Leone: Suresh Pradhan

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iVolunteer Overseas

D-134, First Floor, East of Kailash

New Delhi-110065

Tel.: +91 11-26217459

Email : vso@ivolunteer.in

Website: www.ivoindia.org

A day long unexpected experience of a volunteer

By Suresh Pradhan, VSO Volunteer, India

This is a real story of a volunteer in Sierra Leone  – West Africa, on 18th of June 2009 (Thursday)

the volunteer planning to come to the origin place, because he finished his assignment in the field

called wai situated in the boarder of Liberia and sierra Leone, it’s a very remote place and the

roads are rough, and it was being worsen during the this period. On the above mentioned date he

started to move from wai and reached to jendema around 8 am after having a cup of tea with a

piece of bread, there was nothing to eat. He booked the ticket in the first car coming from

Jendema ( the border town of sierra lone ) , but this is the condition that the car has to get 10

passenger to move , any way by 11.45 am the car got all the passenger and started the journey.

From the beginning of the journey it was giving the signal that the car having some problem, all

passenger asked about it, but the driver gave the confidence that it’s all right, even the drivers’

association member assured, this is a good vehicle, then we started our journey, and it need to be

mentioned that since 4 days the volunteer mobile was flat because there is no electricity. After

some times the vehicle started giving problem, all passengers have to get down and pushed the

vehicle, during that time, it was raining and we all are soaking and water dripping from our

clothes, with this experience we reached to the ferry  – where we have to crossed the Mano River

with the help of a manual ferry and we crossed with rain and the time was around 3.30 pm, slowly

we started our journey towards BO the second largest city of the country, and its around 4 pm the

vehicle started giving problem , after some miles of journey we noticed that the fuel has finished

and water entered in to the carburetor and by that time the rain was saviour .The rain sound in

the dance forest make it very serious as if we are very near to the desolation . un fortunately thereis no net work coverage, for me it was worsen being a stranger, I was hungry after being starved

the whole day , only I have one biscuit packet and water bottle , at a stretch I opened it and

finished every thing . then I though about the situation , how can I help my self and the people

around me , but for unfortunately all my phone number was is phone memory and it is not

possible to get a similar type of battery to open my phone , but I wants to talk my director in

which I am working . Some how I remembered that I have a document where my director phone

number is there and I found it, but again there is no net work, by that , the time was around 5 pm.

The driver left the passenger to collect fuel, but I noticed it was a plea to avoid the harassing

situation. Then I talked to one of the male passenger let’s walk and see whether we can getnetwork, so that I can able to contact my employer and request for rescue. Then we picket 2 scrap

umbrellas from other passenger and started walking, after some time I saw a snake which I could

8/2/2019 An unexpected experience of a volunteer from Sierra Leone: Suresh Pradhan

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iVolunteer Overseas

D-134, First Floor, East of Kailash

New Delhi-110065

Tel.: +91 11-26217459

Email : vso@ivolunteer.in

Website: www.ivoindia.org

have step in. but I was fortunate enough, and it was a very serious poisonous as other friend told

me ,then I got scared and the heavy rain disturbing us seriously. then again we walked altogether

around 4 miles , and saw a timber and I climbed the timber and got the network , I inserted my

sim card to the other colleagues’ phone and dial my director, after half an hour of consistent effort

I got him and elaborate all the situation , and he assured me to send office vehicle to rescue us ,

after that we moved to the nearby village , charting with people and waiting the vehicle , by thetime we met one teacher where we were sited and he offered gari which is the finest product of 

cassava , we ate that . Some how in between 9.30 pm we got the office vehicle and move towards

our destination and it’s around 11.15 pm we reached to bo. 

My dear friend I am suresh  – an Indian volunteer working with RADA-SL and it’s my real

experience being a volunteer. You might face this type of unexpected situation, so be prepared

and arrange everything while you are away from your real placement location.