Living and working in northern Sierra Leone has much to offer in the way of priceless memories: the stunning beauty of the landscape; the perks and pains of working in the international context, and the cyclical nature of the crises and victories we encounter in the specific projects. Through a certain degree of responsibility and plenty of support, I was given the incredible opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and practical experience in the fields of microfinance and integral community development.  I learned a great deal about my shortcomings and how to utilize my strengths and weaknesses, in conjunction with those of others, for a more positive and efficient outcome.  For this, I will be grateful to the Canadian International Development Agency and to CAUSE Canada for a long time.

The most significant experience, however, comes from the simple and profound connections I was blessed to make with my extended Sierra Leonean family – colleagues, programme beneficiaries, neighbours and shopkeepers. Surrounded by the kind of perseverance and gratitude that can only be found in former conflict zones, I was inspired, enlightened, and made to laugh all throughout. Together, we worked to systematically break down the artificial barriers put up between people of different skin colour, culture, language, and types of knowledge - “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”