After 3 weeks of fieldwork in Sierra Leone, I learned a lot of lessons while developing both personally and professionally.
- Lessons Learned
- The first lesson I learned is that you can always be nice to people. Your attitude is a choice you make all the time and regardless of what or how much you have, you can always choose to be nice to people. In Sierra Leone we were surveying strangers, and the vast majority of people were willing to sit and talk to us for up to 30 minutes, often about personal situations. People would also quickly get seating for us and sometimes even thank us for taking the time to come and ask them about themselves in an effort to make an impact.
- I also learned that people are not really that different, even if it may seem like it at first glance. Talking to individuals in Sierra Leone and seeing what they value and what is important to them showed us that we really are not all that different. We also spent a lot of time with our translators, Sulaiman and Salifu. We spoke driving to and from villages, between surveys, and we even went to dinner twice. We often talked about watching soccer, going out with friends, and other activities that we all liked to do. It was a great lesson to learn, and we are now even Facebook friends with our translators!
- The last lesson learned is critical information about life and habits of individuals in Sierra Leone that will allow us to further develop the survey. For example, many people have to walk through the woods/forest area for work although this behavior puts them at risk of contracting Ebola. Also, when individuals say they are a businesswoman or businessman they often mean what we would think of as a trader, which was very interesting. Additionally we learned that chemicals for cleaning that kill bacteria were not very present in the country.
- Professional Development
- Our team was lucky enough to go to Freetown and meet with both Statistics Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Health. This was an excellent opportunity for professional development. We are looking to partner with both of these organizations, so it was a great opportunity to meet them and for us to see partnerships begin to form. Specifically Statistics Sierra Leone seemed interested in working with us, administering the survey on our behalf for less money than we had originally estimated costs to be.
- I also developed professionally during the surveying process. We were meeting new people many times a day asking to talk to them about sensitive information. This had to be done very carefully as to not offend anyone or appear obnoxious, as we were just trying to learn about them and their daily habits. During the survey itself, as we approached topics surrounding the Ebola Virus, it was surprising to experience that some individuals in non-affected villages would laugh about the topic and shake their heads. But it was important for us to remember that we were there for professional business, and to remain an unbiased observer.
- To administer the survey in Sierra Leone we had to use translators. For the first week when our professors Javier Buceta and Paolo Bocchini were with us, they were in charge of the team. When they left, I became in charge of the translators as I am the oldest. As a younger woman with two male translators in Sierra Leone, it was necessary to be assertive as a leader and stand my ground at any point that conflict arose. Our translators were compensated on a per survey basis, so often they would ask to complete more surveys or even just walk and try to initiate them on their own when we had collected enough data from that village and our drivers were ready to take us back. It was important and a good professional experience to deal with those situations.
- Personal Growth
- After seeing the conditions in Sierra Leone I am definitely more thankful for everything that I have here. It was my first time being somewhere that isn’t entirely developed, so I have definitely gained a new perspective on what life can be like for people who aren’t nearly as lucky as I am.
- I also began to value my family and friends more after the experience in Sierra Leone. Family is extremely important in Sierra Leone– it is looked down upon to be an adult without children. We also didn’t often have access to wifi or cellular connection. As our trip proceeded, I realized I missed talking to my family and friends more than any social media or games I could play. Spending 3 weeks with limited connection really showed me what is important to me and what I take for granted.
- I also became more independent on this trip. I think this was mostly because of the limited connection. While I have spent an entire summer abroad away from my family, I felt like I gained much more independence in my 3 weeks in Sierra Leone. Not having the cushion of being able to ask my parents or anyone questions the second they arose forced me to gain confidence in myself and my decisions. While I am happy that I am back and can communicate normally, I appreciate the independence I gained in Sierra Leone.
Hi Lindsay,
Great work on this post – you do a good job connecting your lessons learned to specific anecdotes from your time in Sierra Leone. Be sure to keep thinking about how those lessons will be applicable to future situations or to your venture.
-Lauren