An evening to remember February 22, 2019. Looking out over the sea of faces and seeing 23 years of your life right in front of you is an amazing feeling. From three original Kids in Distress (KIDS) members I trained in 1996 in psychosocial techniques who were the precursors of FGA to a former member of the National Commission for War Affected Children where I helped conduct a National Children's Strategy after the war to representatives of the Ministries and our Network Partners throughout the years. When expressing my great gratitude I must start with Francess Browne for helping to make miracles happen from the Sierra Leone side. Without Francess LemonAid Fund may not be here and definitely would be so successful. She has been the bug that has been the catalyst for so much of what LemonAid Fund has done over it's 20 year history (and even before as a KIDS trainer). While I was evacuated out of Sierra Leone by the UN, Francess was chased out as rebel's burned her house and shot at her as she ran with nothing but a lapa (a piece of material used to wrap around a woman) and her 5 year old daughter. I flew home and she was left to wander in the bush for days and make her way to Guinea (the neighboring country) on her own. She has given tirelessly over the past 20 years to help her fellow Sierra Leoneans and grow LemonAid Fund as a volunteer.
But then without Vicki Browne (just incase you need clarification, no relation to Francess Browne) where would the global Vision One be? I am deeply grateful for Vicki who has been there in over 6 years and 10 countries as the Vision One Million FGA has taken shape. It is rare that you can find a friend (48 years) and a volunteer work mate that brings joy to your life and makes a difference in the world. It is rarer still to find someone who will take the Postal Bus in Uganda, 11 modes of transportation across El Salvador through Honduras to Nicaragua and sleep under mosquito nets across the world without complaint.
And for the fabulous week of workshops, visits to villages, planning for the future and celebration, my appreciation to Kathy Reinhardt (who came on a second trip with LemonAid Fund) and her boys Quinn and Oliver can't be expressed enough. Because of their willingness to step into the unknown and support LemonAid Fund, LemonAid Fund was able to make dreams realities. They didn't flinch when I explained how to flush a toilet with a bucket of water provided, they asked well thought out questions when meeting a young girl who told her story about finding the safe house to escape Female Genital Mutilation and were willing to squeeze into the car for yet one more bumpy ride so we could visit a school or a group of people unexpectedly added to the list because they were excited to see us. It does take a village. Together we celebrated! You will read more in another post of our evening highlights and visit upcountry to just a couple of LemonAid Fund's Network Partners. Peace, Nancy
But then without Vicki Browne (just incase you need clarification, no relation to Francess Browne) where would the global Vision One be? I am deeply grateful for Vicki who has been there in over 6 years and 10 countries as the Vision One Million FGA has taken shape. It is rare that you can find a friend (48 years) and a volunteer work mate that brings joy to your life and makes a difference in the world. It is rarer still to find someone who will take the Postal Bus in Uganda, 11 modes of transportation across El Salvador through Honduras to Nicaragua and sleep under mosquito nets across the world without complaint.
And for the fabulous week of workshops, visits to villages, planning for the future and celebration, my appreciation to Kathy Reinhardt (who came on a second trip with LemonAid Fund) and her boys Quinn and Oliver can't be expressed enough. Because of their willingness to step into the unknown and support LemonAid Fund, LemonAid Fund was able to make dreams realities. They didn't flinch when I explained how to flush a toilet with a bucket of water provided, they asked well thought out questions when meeting a young girl who told her story about finding the safe house to escape Female Genital Mutilation and were willing to squeeze into the car for yet one more bumpy ride so we could visit a school or a group of people unexpectedly added to the list because they were excited to see us. It does take a village. Together we celebrated! You will read more in another post of our evening highlights and visit upcountry to just a couple of LemonAid Fund's Network Partners. Peace, Nancy
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