After a successful Sunday PR night with Rick Shearn from the British High Commission and Ray Anderson, Ray contacted Tony on Monday to inform him that he'd arranged a meeting/evening meal with Isha Johansen who in Ray's words "is the Queen of Sierra Leone and football mad" and was keen to meet with us to hear our story and help in any way she could.
We met with Ray who then took us to Isha's house, well we were all in for another surprise.....Isha is the wife of the Norwegian and Swedish Consul General to Sierra Leone and the Managing Director of the Sierra Leone Cement Factory (LEOCEM), Arne Birger Johansen and he was there to welcome us.
A few years ago Isha and Arne set up a football academy http://www.fcjohansen.com/club/index.html in Freetown to help get the young boys off the street and were very sympathetic and understanding to the troubles we were facing with all the red tape, bureaucracy and difficulties we were facing.
After a fantastic roast lamb meal they showed us a couple of DVDs about FC Johansen and you could see the similarities in what we're trying to do and what they have already achieved.
Isha, Arne, and Ray offered us their support and ongoing support for Armani once we had returned home and they assured us that along with Ray, they would be making a few phone calls in the morning to help us.
On the way back to the hotel we were all buzzing with expectation as to what our final day in Sierra Leone would bring.
Howard Burr
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