As I am making my daily trek up the mountain to get cell service, my shirt is soaked from the beaming heat of the afternoon sun and the stifling humidity. Feeling absolutely miserable, I begin to hear my phone’s familiar “ding” as the once patiently waiting messages now begin crowding into my inbox, and I […]
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The 998 Good Bricks
Here I am, lying on the bed of my room, starring at my broken leg in Yamoransa, Ghana. As I stare at my broken leg, I have been wondering how much more challenging it has been to carry out my goals here in Ghana. The doctor told me to put no weight on my leg […]
Continue ReadingBackground Noise
It was still within my new bedroom. I was as snuggled in as it gets being wrapped in a thin sheet, for the warm night acted as a blanket of its own. My first night at my new home in Asesewa could not have been more tranquil. The three window screens allowed for the room […]
Continue ReadingPeople don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it!
When first meeting someone, the conversation usually begins by asking the question, “What do you do?” or “What are you doing here/there?” It’s not too often that one will be asked, “Why are you doing what you are doing?” Over and over again, since accepting the position as an AgriCorps Fellow, people have asked me […]
Continue ReadingFear is a Liar
Taking a break from packing my bags in preparation for Ghana, I head to an old wooden dock overlooking a pond on a West Texas ranch. I journey there alone to be alone in nature, alone with my thoughts, and to contemplate what will happen over the next few months. I feel a warm Texas […]
Continue ReadingEight Shades of an AgriCorps Fellow
Although all 8 of us have the same title, we have all had our own unique experiences as AgriCorps Fellows. In the past year we have laughed, cried, been angry, happy, and every other emotion you could ever imagine. We have gone through loss with each other and experienced new life. We have grown, both […]
Continue ReadingMy Ma
My AgriCorps service didn’t end quite like I had planned. At the beginning of May, I was sent back to the states due to noncontagious medical issues that could not be solved in Liberia. Due to health risk, I was forced to leave my site without saying goodbye to my community. I basically went from […]
Continue ReadingLiberian Food for the American Soul
I didn’t always love Mama Liberia. And if you asked me now I would probably deny it. But there are moments I catch myself, appreciating the life I’ve curated here, and it has made the growing pains of this journey all worthwhile. Before I board the plan in exactly two months I thought it be […]
Continue ReadingAkwadum 4-H LEAD Workshop
The Fellows and I were sitting at our dining table and the new year had just begun. We were all brainstorming trying to create visions for what we wanted to do in the last 6 months in our communities. Then I spoke up and said, “I want to have a LEAD (Leadership, Education, Agriculture, and […]
Continue ReadingFarm to Classroom
The long and dusty truck ride is over. I arrive in Konkoney to the site of a mountain with a protruding rock-face. It was early and the air was still cool. I am with OCP Africa, a private company out of Morocco that tests farmers’ soil for free, then recommends/sells fertilizer based on the results. […]
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