Freetown performance and trip to King Jimmy's market

After a good performance in Freetown cathedral on Wednesday with some fantastic individual performances from our Susannah and Mbe the greedy tortoise, Mike, Anita and I decided to have a quick look in the local market. Walking around Freetown in our Free For All tops has sparked a lot of interest and after getting into a conversation with some local traders about the slave trade they asked us if we wanted to see the place where the slaves were chained up and kept before being taken. It was in an area called King Jimmy's market (an old Portuguese market from the 15th century). As we were led through rocks along the coast and muddy paths, through tin-shack homes we realised we were in a slum. People just seemed to be sitting around everywhere and our presence of course attracted a lot of interest. We were shown into some ones home and a bed was pulled back exposing chains in the wall. We were taken to two tunnels where the slaves were led through to board the ships, now filled with young men taking drugs and lying around. We were taken to what is now a market with very little to sell, which had been used as a holding place for all the slaves with shackles exposed in the walls and with what looked like messages and pictures in them. Although it was a risk and not the safest place to go, we trusted our guides and kept close to them. For all the work we have done this week in Freetown with the children this was a real highlight and a privilege to experience. The next day we were bound for Bo with a stop off at a village called Miamba on the way to see a school building project. Check out this video made about King Jimmy's Market.