Let me tell you a story. I want to share the Ukweli dream with you.

The date is August 2025. We have our marketing license (finally) and we are selling our test strips to thousands of women across Sierra Leone. Hassan drives his new motorcycle to the Kamabi clinic wearing new Ukweli swag and is holding a large bag of Ukweli Test Strips. Hassan gets into the clinic and the Community Health Officer welcomes him with open arms. He completely sells out of test strips and the Ukweli Health Workers are grateful for the opportunity to better serve their community. Hassan calls us and says that this is our 500,000th box sold. At this point, we have covered all of Bombali including Koinadugu and Karene in Sierra Leone and we have screened millions of people. We are expanding to Tonkolili in October. Our dream is to help to lower the maternal mortality rate in Sierra Leone.

This is our dream.

Here is the reality.

Picture 1. Marc portraying our reality.

Today, we were lost. With no marketing license, we are struggling to move forward. Today was the first time that I felt that we were not moving forward with our project. We had a long and turbulent meeting with our advisor. Here is what we can say with great confidence. (1) Ukweli values ethics, social responsibility, and integrity. (2) Nothing heals a hurting soul quite like “Don’t Go Breaking my Heart”.(3) Jordan CANNOT cut an avocado properly.

Picture 2. Jordan’s avocado cutting methods. What the actual hell. 

So after our meeting, we took a walk. I saw a tree. It gave me great joy. The tree really reminded me that we needed to stand tall and keep our roots, well at least a part of the palm tree did. On our walk back Zach used his dog sense to find and track the scent of World Hope, so we could get back to “work”. We printed some training packets at the local print shop.

Picture 3. Rohan and Jordan almost getting killed by an “Allah is Great” truck and a motorcyclist.

Zach accidentally sniffed out some fried dough. After the snack break, the team ran into two “Apotos”: Nate & Maria. They were trying to find avocados to bring to dinner, Nate left the avocados at World Hope by accident.

Picture 4. Rachel, Zach, and Naakesh smiling at the Wesleyan church. 

 

Tomorrow, the plan is to simulate our operations from our state-of-the-art control center at World Hope International. aka the conference room with spotty Wi-Fi. aka the cave.

Goodnight.

Picture 5. The Ukweli team at the print shop portraying the four stages of grief.