Although the CRS Farmer to Farmer program is no longer operating in Kenya, we felt it would be helpful for you to still have access to some of the logistical information should you chose to take a vacation here after completing your volunteer assignment in one of our current core award countries.
Sierra Leone Overview: This link gives you an overview of Sierra-Leone’s: history, people, language and culture.
2018 Holidays: Check to see if your assignment will be during a major holiday, as this could shift your schedule of activities, and access to resources (example – most people don’t eat meat during “Lent” leading up to Easter).
Time and Weather: Make sure you are packing for the weather you will encounter, not the weather you “think” you will encounter. Check the Host Country Organization map at the top of the page to find the closest major city to your assignment. This link will give you that weather forecast.
Agricultural Country Stats: Overview of land use and major crops grown at a glance.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“…Sierra Leone is a multilingual country, with 25 languages.[1] English is the de facto official language, and Krio is the most widely spoken and is spoken in different countries.
Other major languages include Mende, which is spoken by 29.5% of the population as a mother tongue and as a lingua franca in southern Sierra Leone, and Temne, which is spoken by 37% as a mother tongue and also as a lingua franca in northern Sierra Leone and some part of the Capital and the Western Area. Other languages include Kono, Kissi, Kuranko, Limba, Fula (Pular) and Susu.
Although English, as the official language, is spoken in schools, government administration and the media, Krio is spoken as a lingua franca in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone. Krio, an English-based creole language, is the mother tongue of 10.5% of the population but is spoken by 90% of Sierra Leoneans.[2]…”
We are providing the link below because although it addresses Ugandan Cultural Norms, we find it very relevant to many African cultures. The information can help you navigate some of the unspoken cultural norms which can lead to frustrating experiences while working in African Countries.
Cultural Mistakes to Avoid in Uganda: