Homesick...

I have so much work to do, but of course my brain has perfect timing and just will not allow me to take my mind off of Salone. Man...I miss Sierra Leone so much, I can't wait to go home again because it seems like forever since I last visited. (January 2005!)

Anyway, until then...I will just listen to my SL music and prepare for Independence Day weekend.

Don't forget to keep Sierra Leone in your prayers!

SURVEY TO HELP DEVELOP SALONE!!!

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Sierra Leone,

You have the opportunity to participate in a survey which will collect information about Sierra Leoneans in the US for future use in coordinating the population for the creation of development projects. The survey can be found here: Survey for Diaspora-Driven Development. It is completely voluntary, and approximately 900 other Sierra Leoneans have been invited to participate. To achieve the utmost success, feel free to send this e-mail and/or survey link to anyone you know who may be interested.

Why am I so interested, you ask? I recently returned from conducting a five-month internship with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Freetown where I ran a project called Temporary Return of Qualified Nationals (TRQN) with Sierra Leoneans residing in the Netherlands. The project's success and the things I learned while in your amazing country proved that I need to continue improving upon the work that I did there, so I have decided that I want to create an avenue for Sierra Leoneans in the US to run projects like the men and women from the Netherlands were able to.

While there, I witnessed the successful run-off election process, the inauguration of the new President, the return of nearly continuous electricity, the return of many Sierra Leoneans living throughout the world to take governmental positions, and the creation of an entire advisory office under the President to handle Diaspora Affairs. If you are not already aware, Sierra Leone knows that it needs its brothers and sisters abroad for the country to achieve its remarkable potential. Please take the time to help: Survey for Diaspora-Driven Development.

This survey will help to identify who you are as individuals and as a collective population with a large voice. Hopefully, with your large voice identified, you will be able to work side by side with developmental organizations and funding agencies to create and participate in developmental projects in Sierra Leone! Once these offices recognize you as a motivated population, everything else will fall into place.
All participation in this survey is completely voluntary and will be kept confidential. By submitting the survey, you will have provided your consent to participate.

You will have until April 30th to complete it, and I suggest that you allow yourself at least 30 minutes to respond to its questions. If you have any questions or any concerns regarding the survey and my intentions, feel free to contact me at robyn.mello@gmail.com or (609)828-0289. If calling, please only call Monday through Friday between the hours of 5pm and 10pm.

I hope that you will take into consideration the wonderful things that may come about as a result of the information collected from you in this survey and you will help me in raising awareness about Sierra Leone's potential. Thank you in advance for the information you provide and the progress that you are going to help pave for in Sweet Salone!

Please take the survey and send it along to those you know: Survey for Diaspora-Driven Development.
Sincerely,
Robyn Mello
University of Delaware Research
Migration & Development
robyn.mello@gmail.com
(609)828-0289

Investing in Sierra Leone

Okay, so I know it has been awhile since I last posted...it's just that it's been somewhat of a challenge trying to juggle work, my course load (yes, finals are right around the corner!!!) and some other miscellaneous stuff. Nonetheless, I am somewhat free and ready to post something new...lol!

Also, I am facing somewhat of a bitter-sweet moment...over the weekend my car slammed into a curb (it was raining) and it had to be towed to the mechanic. It was in the shop for almost 3 days, I just got it back today. I was elated when I picked it up, that was my sweet moment...but I had to pay $900 to fix it, definitely a bitter moment. *Tear*

Sierra Leone's Vice-President, Honorable Samuel Sam-Sumana, recently visited the United States (I'm not too sure whether or not he is still here) to "meet" the Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora. To my knowledge, one of his key topics of discussion during these town hall meetings was for Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora to return home. He stressed that in 36 months he, the President of Sierra Leone, and their government were determined to "change the face of the country" by God e powa. He admitted though that this 180 degree turn would be a trying task and that the government needs the help of Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora.

In my opinion, this is a great idea. I mean to have Sierra Leoneans who have lived oversees for quite sometime go back and estabilish businesses, which in turn will help to boost the economy, which will then lead to the creation of more jobs, and so on so forth...Ah, the day! Not that I believe that the VP's plea to Sierra Leoneans to come home and rebuild the nation is something impossible or anything, never that! I am an optimist. For me, if I had the capital I would succomb to the VP's plea in a heartbeat. LoL, I have some things in mind when it comes to investing in the country...I just have to figure out some ways on how to go about it...I digress. Yes, but I love what the VP is saying, in fact the APC isn't the first government to bring up this notion of Sierra Leoneans coming home, if I can recall...the SLPP have also shared similar sentiments.

So now that this whole idea is nothing new to us...what is stopping us from investing in Mama Salone? Could it be that we lack the funding to start a business out there (I think I fall in this category), we don't know what to invest in (there are many things to invest in...mind you), or maybe we just aren't opening our eyes to the endless amount of potential that Salone has locked in it and is just waiting to be opened. Whatever the case may be (and I am sure there are many other scenarios that I failed to mention) I just really would like to see some major developments in our country. We can not just depend on the government to do everything for us anymore, it is time that able-bodied Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora do more to help our country. For example, in the America, it is our small businesses that keep our countries economy going (that may not have been the best example with the way things are looking in the US now...but you get the point,I hope...) So in Sierra Leone, I believe that we could work wonders if more of us would also invest in it by starting small businesses. There are so many markets in SL just waiting to be tapped into, will more Sierra Leoneans give into the VP's plea? Who knows...I guess we will all stay tuned and see who is ready to take a chance on Salone.

Until then, keep SL in your prayers...put all of your trust in God and a brighter day will surely come. ~SMOOCHES~

"It does not matter what the future holds, all that matters is that I trust WHO holds the future."
~NEJ