As early as age 8 I struggled to make sense of war, particularly in neighboring Liberia. Hearing about children being killed and people displaced made me sad.
I wanted to help but didn’t know how to. Little did I know that at the age of 14, I too will become a victim of civil war.
I lost family members and fled my country, Sierra Leone, on an oil tanker boat and endured a terrifying ordeal on the Atlantic Ocean.
After settling in The Gambia as a refugee I pursued my passion for writing to share stories that inspire and uplift others.
Although writing and sharing stories of current affairs was my passion, fear and doubt almost kept me from realizing my dream at age 17 after I was appointed as Africa Correspondent for a global Internet media company headquartered in New York — SoccerAge (which seems a completely different company today).
But I faced that fear with faith, courage, and determination, not wanting anything to limit my God-given potentials.
Then years later after I moved to the US, I received a shocking bilateral sensorineural hearing loss diagnosis.
Heartbroken, sad, and disappointed, I finally discovered why I struggled to understand speech for most of my life.
Three weeks after my diagnosis, I encountered a transformative experience while covering an awards gala for my blog — thank God for voice recorders.
The powerful keynote touched on disability and the belief that despite disability we can accomplish almost anything if we believe.
As I listened to the keynote I began to shed tears because hearing disability had already taken a toll on me.
I then realized if a message can be so powerful and uplifting to my soul, then I, too, can help others in their journey with my stories.
Although the hearing loss cannot be regained, my hope was restored.
I worked hard on my fear of public speaking and the courage to share my stories publicly, believing someone else’s life depends upon it.
So if you ever wonder why I write and speak, now you know it’s part of God’s purpose for my life and the people who will benefit from my stories.
My question to you is, what is your story, and how are you using it to encourage and bless others?
