I don't think I've ever written about one of the remarkable circumstances of my experience. Before I had a stroke, I think I had met only one African. After the stroke, I have come to know a large number of Africans who are nurses and caregivers. Most of these have been from West Africa, and the great majority from one country, Sierra Leone.
I have been really curious to find out more about this country, but without much luck. Caregivers provide some anecdotes, but not much that I can track down. Standard references are just that. The only luck I had was reading Ishmael Beah's book, A Long Way Gone, which is an extraordinary account of experiences as a child soldier.
It struck me just this morning that there is another resource here in town, The National Museum of African Art, which I will have to visit soon.