Adama Kalokoh, Global Development Director for the Save The Young Girls Orphanage in Sierra Leone

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FWM:You have a passion for helping others, service, and international development. Share your background. 

My biggest passions in life are Female Empowerment, Health Promotion, International Development, and Community Service- they truly are my life purpose. Other passions include event planning and floral design. My passions all connect to my culture and background. I was born and raised in Washington DC, USA. I am a very proud descendant of Sierra Leone, West Africa, born to parents who migrated from Africa to the US in the late 1960s. My parents always inspired me and siblings to not only work hard but to make sure we help others along the way. They also encouraged us to love our African roots and embrace all aspects of our culture. Our household did not escape the traditions of our country. Both parents retained their deep accents, their culture to include clothing, food, music, beliefs, etc. Naturally, they ensured to pass this culture to their children. Whether we always listened was another story. Many life experiences, such as the death of my dear father in 1997, made my heart realize what my father said was true…Africa is my home and I need to make sure I return home before I leave this earth. I felt a great need to honor him by visiting Sierra Leone, embracing my culture, my people, and making a huge difference in my country. I was blessed to visit Sierra Leone in 2003 and I can say boldly that my life has changed for the better. Meeting family members and breathing the African sun was so memorable. I now believe deep down in my bones that my black is beautiful and being from Africa is an honor.  

FWM: As a woman in the United States Air Force, you served 4 years specializing in dietetics and nutrition. How have you continued in health promotion? 

Public Health is so important to me because it helps improve the lives of others. In my current capacity as Global Development Director for the Save The Young Girls Orphanage in Sierra Leone, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity of helping to improve the lives of 29 young girls and three staff members by adding more produce to their diets. Through my influence on Social Media, I’ve been able to connect the orphanage with a Farming program which donates healthy produce to the orphanage each month. It’s so exciting to know the girls who once survived on mainly rice and soup can now eat a balanced diet and grow much healthier. I hope to venture into agriculture projects in the villages of Sierra Leone that can help reduce poverty among vulnerable populations. I’d like to support farmers in the future so that fresh produce can be provided to schools and hospitals. In addition, I’ve managed a Facebook Page called “Wellness Inspiration By Adama” for the last two years. I post healthy recipes, nutrition facts, fitness tips, and other wellness resources & topics. 

FWM: How have you impacted Sierra Leone? What would you like people to know about the country?

I have always been actively involved in several community projects in the US especially as an AmeriCorps Fellow where I served as a Volunteer Director. However, visiting Sierra Leone helped me to realize the tremendous need to help rebuild a fragile nation which still harbors the trappings of instability. I observed many of the disparities in the economy, education and health systems, and the vast amount of poverty within the country. Sierra Leone is a beautiful country with great potential that has suffered much over the years. My passion for helping others and devotion to the service of humanity was crystallized after I made my first trip to Sierra Leone in 2003 followed by three consecutive visits. My series of visits to the Motherland advanced my strong desire and interest in using my knowledge, skills, and influence to advocate for the vulnerable. My life completely changed and has never been the same. I traveled to Sierra Leone consecutively from 2003-2006. I was not fortunate to meet any of my grandparents alive but made sure to visit each of their gravesites to pay my respect. During these years, I visited more than ten villages with loads of pictures and videos to cherish as memories. Meeting my Sierra Leonean family, viewing the land, walking the beaches were very priceless moments I will always remember. I vowed to myself that upon returning to the US, I would not allow society to classify Sierra Leone as a doomed country. I decided to share the greatness of my country with the world. I have used many photos to share my story, my culture, and the beauty of my people with the world via several Social Media outlets. I consider myself a major influencer of Sierra Leone as a Diasporan and for several years, I’ve made positive contributions to promote its culture. I feel that as a young woman who was born to African parents, I have a great advantage and can serve as a bridge to connect both cultures. I get such a sense of pride when I can share my culture with my American friends. I used my love for African dance to create and post videos displaying cultural dances of Sierra Leone and posted on several platforms sparking unity and pride among fellow Sierra Leoneans all over the world. My social media posts have gained wide readership from Sierra Leoneans around the world and Americans who now have a deeper appreciation for Sierra Leone cultural values.

Additionally in my quest to learn “Temne”, which is the native tongue of my family members, I used Temne books to translate/illustrate Temne phrases and posted on Social media. My family is from the Themne tribe so this really made them proud. I believe that we all have a story that makes us who we are…we must always make efforts to share our story. For the past few years, I’ve also endeavored to share the stories of my Sierra Leone family, especially my grandparents, whom I was not fortunate to meet. I would usually categorize these stories under the title “Chronicles of the Diaspora Queen” I hope to turn these stories into a book someday and influence many of the first generation born Sierra Leoneans like myself to do greater for the country. In addition, I created two Facebook pages called “I Love Sierra Leone” and “Impact Sierra Leone” to share the culture and beauty of SL. It is here where I have posted my videos and pictures of Sierra Leone as well as featured cultural topics.

My commanding personality has made me a natural for hosting a series of successful fund-raising events through collaboration with community organizations and church groups in the Washington DC area from 2004 through 2019. I have contributed meaningfully to the fields of Education and Health for girls and women in my ancestral village. For this, I have been honored and received recognition in Sierra Leone and the United States as the Yonibana Brand Ambassador, Female Empowerment Entrepreneur, and Chief Patron of the Yonibana Student Association (YOSA) Annual Charity Event. I received the following honors in 2019/2020: -2020 CuentaConmigo Ambassador for promoting Sustainable Development Goals in Sierra Leone; 2019 Global Goodwill Ambassador; 2019 DDEA Humanitarian Award USA; 2020 My Body Is My Body Advocate Award – for promoting Sexual Abuse Awareness in Sierra Leone; Top 100 Recognized Human Rights Defenders 2019 Almanac promoting Sustainable Development Goals in Sierra Leone by the International Human Rights Commission- RFT; 2019 Yoni Diasporan of the Year Award for my valuable contributions towards a more progressive Yonibana (the birthplace of my father) 

I hope to collaborate with other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and International Development Partners to empower women and take Sierra Leone to the next level. I want to promote Female Empowerment throughout Sierra Leone. I believe there is so much power in supporting Sierra Leone as a descendant. I hope that my efforts will inspire other descendants of Africa to embrace their culture and positively impact their home country. My main theme that drives my community service is “United We Stand and Together We Rise To Make A Difference!

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FWM: Share your experience with Me Against Poverty, Inc.

My experience with Me Against Poverty (MAP) was very positive. In 2010, I joined five other members to form this organization. It was my first experience being part of an active board for an organization and provided me with a great foundation working with partners in Sierra Leone. My role as Vice Chairman and Marketing Specialist had a huge impact on much of the group’s success. It allowed me to work hands-on with projects in Sierra Leone. I participated in tactical and ad-hoc meetings, executed online fundraising strategies, initiatives, and goals. I also successfully developed content for the website and promotional toolkits for donors, organized online fundraising, identified and communicated with high profile donors, provide grant-writing support; developed media and marketing materials such as brochures, bookmarks, press releases, flyers, and other communication materials; Our team also focused on addressing the health care challenges that affect the country as a whole by working with experts in the health care sector in collaboration with our implementing partner. I helped coordinate many of the fundraising, marketing & promotion events for the group. AS a MAP member, my efforts contributed to (a) construction of a library resource center, (b) the awarding of 80 scholarships for qualifying students, and (c) the distribution of backpacks and school supplies for the Yonibana Secondary School (YSS). My efforts at YSS made me realize the importance of education as a critical ingredient for eradicating poverty within vulnerable communities. Although as of 2016, I no longer serve in the capacity within the MAP organization, I continue collaborating and actively participating in several other groups doing work in Sierra Leone.

FWM: What advice would you give young women who want to live a life of service? 

The first advice I would give is to search your heart for your true purpose. Discover what truly makes you happy. Search for a cause that does not seem like work but drives your passion daily. My other advice would be to serve without expectations- the reward is definitely in seeing the needs met of the people you are serving. Most importantly is to build great friendships with those who serve with you… Great Relationships mean Great Service! I discovered my purpose in May of 2019 after losing my job. I had a month to do some serious soul searching and realized I want to impact Sierra Leone. After exploring many ideas, I narrowed down and decided to work with the young girls was my passion. I was blessed to connect with a small orphanage that was struggling to care for the girls called “Save The Young Girls Foundation Orphanage” I felt a great sense of responsibility, challenge, and inspiration to become an ambassador and an agent for change especially for young girls and women. I am a strong advocate for women and girls in my ancestral Sierra Leone. As a result, I became their voice in the US and have just recently formed a Board of Directors to oversee the day to day operations of the orphanage. So that I may contribute even greater, I launched my own foundation called Impact Sierra Leone (ISL) which focuses on education and empowerment. I used my event planning and marketing to organize ISL’s first event in December 2019, “Compassion Donation Drive”. Our efforts enabled us to fill four large barrels with clothing, shoes, education materials, and more for Save The Young Girls Orphanage. I coordinated the shipment of these barrels to Sierra Leone. It was a pure joy to see videos of the orphanage receiving and opening the barrels with the kids surrounded. Additionally, I have a responsibility as a daughter of Africa to use my American ties to advance the causes of the motherland. I have been able to coordinate many fundraising efforts to support local and rural communities and there is still more I will do to help. I am using my voice to spread the word within the Diaspora as well. I hope to make an impact on those who share the Diaspora dream- As a Diasporan, I have an incredible power to affect change just by my connections. I am Empowered To Inspire.

FWM: Did you have a Mentor?

I’ve had many over the years, especially during 2019. I’ve been fortunate to come across many great individuals who recognized my passion for humanity and community service. Just to name a few, Mrs. Pamela Luckett, Executive Director for Hope Worldwide Mid-Atlantic influenced me greatly when I was an AmeriCorps Fellow, she was technically my first boss but taught me so much about working with people and being excellent in my service: the late Bernadette Kamara, Executive Director for Sierra Leone Relief and Development Outreach influenced me in changing lives in Sierra Leone and taught me how to be compassionate; Mr. David W. Anderson played a major role in my professional development and taught me the value of good networking and nurturing my skills; the late Ambassador Foday Mansaray influenced me in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as I defend the rights of the girl child, Mr. Nana Kontor Nketiah from You At Heart Foundation (YAHF) mentored me in working with the orphanage and Mr. Lansana Waritay, who was a key in helping me discover my purpose and connecting me with Save The Young Girls Foundation Orphanage. Finally, my parents, Harriet Memuna and James Conteh were my biggest mentors in teaching me how to be kind, good-hearted, and to always think about helping the people of Africa.

FWM: Through your work helping others, was there someone who changed your life? 

I definitely would say that working with Save The Young Girls Foundation Orphanage has changed my life. The Director of the Orphanage, Susan Marie Sesay truly amazes me every day with her heart of love. She helped rescue several homeless girls from the streets of Sierra Leone and gave them a better life. Her team of three are the caretakers of 29 girls ranging from ages 4 to 14. In March of 2020, one of the orphan girls died from complications due to malaria. This situation really broke my heart and reignited my desire to truly transform the orphanage and take it to greater heights. I am dedicated to seeing each girl reach her goal, finish school, and become something great. I am empowered to promote sustainable development goals for young girls. 

Website – www.impactsierraleone.org 

Instagram: @adkalokoh90

Instagram: @impact_sierra_leone

Facebook: Adama Kalokoh

Facebook Page: I Love Sierra Leone

Facebook Page: Impact Sierra Leone