- D
Dear friends and family,
I wanted to take the time to tell you of a wonderful opportunity that has come up for me.
As many of you may now I, along with my two sisters, were adopted from Sierra Leone in 2002. I was very young when I came to America and remember some things from Africa.
During the early 1990s, an eleven year long civil war broke out in my home country. Rebel forces, motivated by greed and power, over took the existing government and left many families broken and torn apart. Children were turned into boy soldiers and forced to fight a war they didn't want to take part in. As a result many children were left as orphans with the killings of the parents by the rebel forces. This went on for more than ten years. It was near the end of the war that my uncle heard of an orphanage for displaced children. He walked many days and many nights to get us to the orphanage. It was during this time that we heard of a family in America that was looking to adopt us. Shortly after, we would join our new family, the Brockett family, here in America. My sisters and I have been here since our adoption in 2002 and haven't been back to Sierra Leone since then.
In 2017, a good friend of mine Alimamy Bader made his first trip back to Sierra Leone after being here with his sister for more than 14 years. On his trip back, he was able to meet my uncle that took us to the orphanage. In meeting with him, Alimamy was able to bring back information about my relatives. It was during this time that I first had heard of my family possibly being alive after the civil war. In hearing more about this, I started pondering and questioning if they could actually be still alive.
Shortly after all this, my sister and I started receiving Facebook massages of a gentle man that knows of our family. In talking to him, I would later discover this man was my actual cousin, Thabeh's brother. I didn't believe it at first because I was still under the impression that all my family was gone during the war. But over time, as I talked more and more with him, he was able to point out things in our lives that was only confidential to our family here in America. Thinking about Africa and talking to my cousins has brought a yearning to want to go back to my homeland. To go back and see my people, the place where I grew up and the culture I left behind.
I was invited to a fundraiser this year (2019) for EduNations and was able to see the amazing work this organization has been doing. EduNations does work in Sierra Leone in helping provide free education along with medical treatment for the people in Sierra Leone. At a young age, I've always had a passion to want to work with kids. Seeing what EduNations is doing, it has ignited a desire to seek after this passion of mine. God willing I hope my skills with working with kids could be used in EduNations to help the people of Sierra Leone.
I've been praying and talking to family and friends here in the US about going back to Sierra Leone. I am very much excited of hearing of my biological family and want to find out more of where I come from. I want to discover everything I can about my past life. I truly believe that God is leading me to go back and find my roots of where I was born. And in doing so, I not only want to go see my relatives, but I would also like to give back to my country in any way God leads me. It is in my heart that I would like to be a part of EduNations efforts in being of an impact in the children lives. Many of these kids that EduNations is involved with had families that they lost in the brutal 11 year long civil war. I want to be apart of their healing in bring up the next generation of young men and women.
With your help and support I would like to ask if you could join me. Join in prayer for my trip, that I would be able to follow God's calling and to seek out his will in wanting to help the children of Sierra Leone. I ask that you would also pray for my mental state of mind, that I would not recall traumatic memories from Africa. But rather be encouraged of the culture I was once apart of. Finally family and friends, If God puts it on your heart to financially help support me it would greatly be appreciated. Total expense for the trip is going to cost $3,000 and will cover all my expenses. If you are able to give in any capacity, whether small or large, I will be forever grateful for your generous donation. Thank you so much in taking your time in reading my story, God bless.
I wanted to take the time to tell you of a wonderful opportunity that has come up for me.
As many of you may now I, along with my two sisters, were adopted from Sierra Leone in 2002. I was very young when I came to America and remember some things from Africa.
During the early 1990s, an eleven year long civil war broke out in my home country. Rebel forces, motivated by greed and power, over took the existing government and left many families broken and torn apart. Children were turned into boy soldiers and forced to fight a war they didn't want to take part in. As a result many children were left as orphans with the killings of the parents by the rebel forces. This went on for more than ten years. It was near the end of the war that my uncle heard of an orphanage for displaced children. He walked many days and many nights to get us to the orphanage. It was during this time that we heard of a family in America that was looking to adopt us. Shortly after, we would join our new family, the Brockett family, here in America. My sisters and I have been here since our adoption in 2002 and haven't been back to Sierra Leone since then.
In 2017, a good friend of mine Alimamy Bader made his first trip back to Sierra Leone after being here with his sister for more than 14 years. On his trip back, he was able to meet my uncle that took us to the orphanage. In meeting with him, Alimamy was able to bring back information about my relatives. It was during this time that I first had heard of my family possibly being alive after the civil war. In hearing more about this, I started pondering and questioning if they could actually be still alive.
Shortly after all this, my sister and I started receiving Facebook massages of a gentle man that knows of our family. In talking to him, I would later discover this man was my actual cousin, Thabeh's brother. I didn't believe it at first because I was still under the impression that all my family was gone during the war. But over time, as I talked more and more with him, he was able to point out things in our lives that was only confidential to our family here in America. Thinking about Africa and talking to my cousins has brought a yearning to want to go back to my homeland. To go back and see my people, the place where I grew up and the culture I left behind.
I was invited to a fundraiser this year (2019) for EduNations and was able to see the amazing work this organization has been doing. EduNations does work in Sierra Leone in helping provide free education along with medical treatment for the people in Sierra Leone. At a young age, I've always had a passion to want to work with kids. Seeing what EduNations is doing, it has ignited a desire to seek after this passion of mine. God willing I hope my skills with working with kids could be used in EduNations to help the people of Sierra Leone.
I've been praying and talking to family and friends here in the US about going back to Sierra Leone. I am very much excited of hearing of my biological family and want to find out more of where I come from. I want to discover everything I can about my past life. I truly believe that God is leading me to go back and find my roots of where I was born. And in doing so, I not only want to go see my relatives, but I would also like to give back to my country in any way God leads me. It is in my heart that I would like to be a part of EduNations efforts in being of an impact in the children lives. Many of these kids that EduNations is involved with had families that they lost in the brutal 11 year long civil war. I want to be apart of their healing in bring up the next generation of young men and women.
With your help and support I would like to ask if you could join me. Join in prayer for my trip, that I would be able to follow God's calling and to seek out his will in wanting to help the children of Sierra Leone. I ask that you would also pray for my mental state of mind, that I would not recall traumatic memories from Africa. But rather be encouraged of the culture I was once apart of. Finally family and friends, If God puts it on your heart to financially help support me it would greatly be appreciated. Total expense for the trip is going to cost $3,000 and will cover all my expenses. If you are able to give in any capacity, whether small or large, I will be forever grateful for your generous donation. Thank you so much in taking your time in reading my story, God bless.
Organizer and beneficiary
Alimamy Bader
Beneficiary