More than five hundred children came from across Sanda Magbolontor - one of the most disadvantaged chiefdoms in Sierra Leone - to enjoy their first ever Christmas Party, gathering in chiefdom capital, Sendugu, for Hope's first Christmas Party of the season bringing some Christmas cheer to kids, the centre of attention for the day!
COOKING UP A STORM
Aunty Hawa and Army come all the way from Freetown and Hopes' Sweety-Sweet cookery to make sure everything runs smoothly and first thing, Mama Mayila, Aunties Zainab, Mary and Kay and helpers from Makelekos and Sendugu make an early start cooking up one hundred kilo of rice, peeling onions, okra, pepper and preping enough chicken for the multitude gathering and chicken is such a rare treat particularly for kids, who lucky if they get just the wing tips and gizzards, will enjoy a whole piece to themsleves!
BALLOONS AT THE READY
The rest of the Hope team arrive and Uncle Sol makes a welcome return, today in charge of the balloon blowing and banner band busy bedecking Sendgu Primary School in readiness for the very first Christmas Party Sanda Magbolontor's seen.
SERRIED RANKS AWAIT
Serried ranks of children join from Sendugu Primary, Manays Primary and Sendugu Nursery ram-packing the venue contenting themselves with some popcorn expectantly waiting for their first-ever Christmas Party!
Long-time readers will recognize Fulanese miss, Numu and some familar faces from Manays...
FOOD'S BEING SERVED
A generous portion of jolloff rice and a piece of chicken going into each take out box, served up by Aunty Mary, Aunty Hawa and Misses Mica and Sierra - that's a lot a lot of take out and it looks like Uncle Sol's got his plate sorted already!
CROCODLES OF KIDS
Orderly queues form for food, crocodiles of kids, parents, members of the School Management Committee, the Regent Chief, Chiefdom Speaker and Sendugu Councillor all gathering for the biggest Party Sanda Magbolontor has ever seen!
WHAT A SWELL PARTY!
500 kids from the most disadvantaged chiefdom in Sierra Leone the centre of attention and more than 100 parents and assorted grown-ups enjoying the first-ever Christmas Party Sanda Magbolontor's seen!
We know this because Pa Ibrahim, at 84 the oldest gentleman in Sendugu, tells Mama Mayila that as a boy he remembers Government Ministers and missionairies, NGOs and returning diaspora but he has never seen such a party and so many people not even on Pray Day!
DRUMMING AND DANCING
There's drumming and dancing and speeches galore but the main thing was the kids, 500 of them, got to have their first-ever Christmas Party, in fact their first party ever!
All thanks to kind donations to our Christmas Angel Tree Fund from some very kind people - Uncles Corr, Leendert and Luke and Aunties Nichole, Deanna, Janet and Grandma Tina - thank you guys - you've made so many kids very happy!
And the kids feedback and the Ladies feedback is so positive Mama Mayila's promised to see what we can rustle up in 2020 to bring some more joy to Sanda Magbolontor!
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