Today we had such an exciting meeting with SHAFS. We showed up a little early, and got to spend some time hanging out in the office with the director. Then, once everyone else arrived, we moved into this cool room that used to be a classroom. There were four or five SCD patients there as well as the advisory board. The director gave a short speech about his passion for the project while Prof. Mehta and the two photographers, Taylor and Christa joined us to watch.
Once the introductory proceedings were over, we split into three groups to conduct interviews and get video footage. Chibugo and Jake were able to interview three patients, while Norman and Dr. Cheng were able to interview the founder of the organization. All the while, Hamsa was able to get video footage of the director and the founder. Overall, it was an incredibly productive morning and we built the beginnings of a partnership!
From the interviews, we heard one common theme: SCD patients were often ostracized by friends and family. They told us stories about being called witches and wizards, and that their families were reluctant to pay for education since “people with SCD only live until 21.” But another common thread that we were happy to hear about is that there was always at least one person to support them and to remind them to stay strong. All the patients spoke so passionately about what support meant to them, and how they would not be where they currently are without it. That is why groups like SHAFS are so important; it is not always enough to be diagnosed and managed. In places like Sierra Leone where there is such a profound stigma against SCD patients, victims are often in need of psychological support as well.
After finishing up our interviews, we ended up waiting about an hour and a half because we did not coordinate well enough with our drivers. But the time was not put to waste! We were able to further bond with our new friends and talk casually about certain obstacles for Sierra Leonean welfare groups, commercial real estate in Makeni, and other logistics that SHAFS had to overcome.
When transport finally arrived, we made our way back to the office and organized our photos, videos, and audios from interviews. Norman and Hamsa also took a trip with Moses, a staff member at WHI, to a nearby restaurant. Norman got a chicken drumstick and Hamsa got spaghetti. Chibugo, Jake, and Dr. Cheng stayed back and bought roast corn!