All pooling together

Retired greengrocer Nancy Shaxted (64) admits she was scared stiff of the water. “I kept trying: I would drag myself down to the local sports centre. Once in the pool I just lost my nerve and dashed off to the changing rooms again. I don’t what got into me; I just couldn’t let go.”

She explained her impediment to the rest of the Mission Direct team when they spent the day at Burah Beach. “I told them ‘I’ll just sit on the beach and watch’ but they all encouraged me so much that I decided to step into the sea. The team surrounded me in the water in a big circle. A chap called Nigel supported me as I lay on my back and talked me through what to do.”

“It’s strange: I felt so safe and secure - I lay on my back and finally Nigel took his hand away from the small of my back and I was still floating.”

“I fell in love with Sierra Leone and the team were so lovely. I felt like while I was there I was capable of anything – that’s a great feeling to have at my age and I can’t wait to go back and feel that again.”

To learn more about our work in Sierra Leone and join a trip click here.