“I hope you will judge yourselves not on your professional accomplishments alone, but also on how well you have addressed the world’s deepest inequities, on how well you treated people a world away who have nothing in common with you but their humanity.”—Bill Gates As I near the end of my time as a CUSO […]
I want to beg of you much as I can to be patient toward all that’s unsolved in your heart, and learn to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms, or like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not seek the answers, which cannot be given you, because you would not […]
“For her, those jobs held no meaningful purpose. And so she made the decision to search for meaningful work- work about which she would have such passion that the question, Why try for greatness? would seem almost tautological.” -Jim Collins, author, Good to Great I’ve definitely settled into life here in Akpap Okoyong and it’s […]
The true development of human beings involves much more than mere economic growth. At its heart there must be a sense of empowerment and inner fulfillment. -Aung San Suu Kyi Living and working in Akpap Okoyong, Cross River State is enriching my life immensely and continues to teach me about myself and the world in […]
They’d told us that a couple of the key soft skills we’d need as CUSO International volunteers are flexibility and adaptability—so very true! I knew that in coming to Nigeria I was signing up for an adventure and the past month has certainly not disappointed. After having been required to evacuate from Kaduna to Abuja […]
I spent my weeklong Christmas and New Year holiday in Calabar and Iko Esai, in the southeast of Nigeria, becoming even more aware of the incredible diversity within the country. It is hard to grasp the fact that there are more than 250 different languages spoken here in this one country alone. I had to […]
*A Hausa phrase translated as ‘well done’ and used as a greeting whenever Nigerians see you working, going to work or coming from work. As my time in Kaduna, Nigeria goes by and days turn into months, I continue to learn and grow and enjoy many new experiences. The past month and a half has […]
It’s already the end of September and I feel like I just arrived. Well, they do say that time flies when you’re having fun. I’ve definitely been enjoying myself here thus far and feel incredibly grateful for this opportunity to live and work in Nigeria. Since arriving in July, I’ve developed my work plan for […]
Arrival in Kaduna I still find it hard to believe that I’ve finally arrived in my new home for the next year: Nigeria. After an extensive application, interview and screening process as well as a slight entry Visa delay, I’m happy to be settling into life on the African continent. I graduated from Florida International […]
