📍 Location: Merel’s Village, Sierra Leone📝 Episode NotesGood day — November 8th.I spent more time talking with Chris Roller today, and the stories he shares are out of this world. He recently finished a huge solar project with dozens of stations, and now he’s planning to ride a small motorbike back to Freetown before returning to Botswana for his next project.After that, I made my way to see Merel and bumped into Abdul again. We packed up and made a short extra trip to retrieve a forgotten Wi-Fi piece. As we traveled, the landscape changed — hills, rivers, and areas affected by mining. Some rivers were murky from bauxite and gold mining, which is partially tolerated, but it’s complicated because villagers rely on these rivers for bathing and washing.We traveled the last nine kilometers on a dirt road, which took about half an hour. When we arrived at Merel’s village — the furthest of the three from McKinney — she was settled in and doing very well. She had learned Creole, and the villagers embraced me as her “uncle,” which is how family ties are easily formed there.The villagers were excited for my arrival and even organized a welcome “concert” of drumming, singing, and clapping — mostly led by the women — with speeches in my honor. Merel is considered the village princess, and the chief oversees multiple villages. The whole community made me feel incredibly welcomed.We walked through the village, visiting schools and the local health clinic where Merel spends most of her time. The clinic is small, with limited resources: one well, non-operating toilets, and around twelve staff members, including just one nurse. Merel focuses a lot on children and maternal health. While I was there, I got to meet two of the triplets born while she was away, and one of them was named after her.Life in the village is humble: water is mostly from wells, households pump their own water, and mosquito protection is limited. Many families have multiple wives, so children are abundant. Schools serve the village and surrounding areas, requiring some kids to walk from neighboring towns. NGOs provide important support to supplement government services.The day was unforgettable. I even got to take a few more photos than usual, capturing the people and energy of the village. I stayed overnight and planned to return to McKinney the next day.Another amazing journey in Sierra Leone.⏱️ Key Moments00:20 — Talking more with Chris Roller and hearing his solar project stories01:15 — Traveling with Merel and Abdul, retrieving forgotten Wi-Fi02:00 — Observing rivers affected by bauxite and gold mining02:50 — Traveling the last nine kilometers on dirt roads to Merel’s village03:30 — Village welcome concert with drumming, singing, and speeches04:15 — Visiting schools and the health clinic where Merel works05:00 — Meeting newborn triplets, including one named after Merel05:45 — Observations on village life, wells, mosquitoes, and NGOs06:30 — Overnight stay in the village and reflection on the day

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