I'll probably change it again, but I've (obviously) changed my blog title. "Adventures in Sierra Leone" is lame, let's admit it. Anyway, soda soap is a handmade soap (you can buy the ingredients in the market here) that was shunned before the civil war here in favor of imported soaps. During the war and in the refugee camps, however, it was all that was available and having any soap at all was a luxury. Listen to one of my favorite Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars songs--Soda Soap--for the title's origin.
So, I guess "Making Do With Soda Soap" means that we're doing the best that we can here with what we have. Fancy imported soap is now available and widely used (we have a couple of bars of "Juliet" soap at the Guest House, which everyone finds immensely funny), and similarly, our organization has a lot of support that it once didn't have, but for me, the concept remains: as we strive for something better, we can make great gains with the simplest things we already have. Call it cheesy, but there it is.
So, I guess "Making Do With Soda Soap" means that we're doing the best that we can here with what we have. Fancy imported soap is now available and widely used (we have a couple of bars of "Juliet" soap at the Guest House, which everyone finds immensely funny), and similarly, our organization has a lot of support that it once didn't have, but for me, the concept remains: as we strive for something better, we can make great gains with the simplest things we already have. Call it cheesy, but there it is.
I am proud for spending ,50 céntimos in order to have had the opportunity to be right on top of the name change.
ReplyDeleteYou've found the good one. It always takes at least one revision.
jim