By Salamatu Turay
Having to work in the UK for two weeks was quite amazing, what with all the hustling and bustling around for news items and things to blog about. Though it should have been difficult, especially in a foreign land, it was actually made extremely simple for me by my hosts...
When I first arrived here I thought that I would not achieve much. The UK has hundreds more professional journalists than my country, so I thought my presence would not make a difference. But that has not been the case, and with the help and support of Panos London staff, I was able to achieve a lot.
Yes, I do have a big suitcase, as everyone kept joking, and, thanks to Panos, I do have something big to take home with me - but it's not something for which I have to pay excess baggage fees. It's what I have learnt from this whole experience. Back home I had little knowledge of climate change, for example, but Panos staff really helped me to meet people I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to meet, to go to places that were not even in my dreams, and to write on topics I didn't think about before...
Now I am leaving the UK very soon, but surely my leaving will not be the end of the hustling and bustling, and I will not forget about my UK readership! I will continue to follow the stories and ideas that have come up through this fortnight, but most specifically, like Machrine, I'll be going home to write about climate change in Sierra Leone, and to work with my colleagues to help them write about it too.
Anyway, bye!!! We will surely cross paths again soon.
I hope this isn't the end for the Africa Vox blog. It has proven to be an interesting and insightful read and would continue to be so if the varied writers were able to continue posting from home.
So come on, how about Africa Vox Post G8?
Posted by: topmate | Wednesday, 13 July 2005 at 11:12