Silver lining

Hello. Today is Monday, August 14th, 2023. This was the Ukweli 2023 team’s eighth full day in Sierra Leone.

We are still awaiting our Institutional Review Board Approval. Professor Khanjan Mehta traveled to Freetown today and was able to meet with personnel there to get context on what can be done to push the amendment through or get an expedited look at a new protocol. We are hoping to begin our research on Friday, giving us the last six days to work. Although the circumstance of today was no different than the last week, it was a much more down day. All of us are in a bit of a funk.

We’re just about halfway done with our trip. Today felt like we were not here in Sierra Leone–exploring, enjoying, and learning. Instead, we remained at the office all day. Yet, it takes a day like this to dig deep into our gratitude and find things to appreciate about our surroundings. It takes energizing ourselves to make an opportunity out of the one-of-a-kind place we are in. Even amid challenges, Ukweli is special because we know how to pick each other up and get each other moving.

Gratitude will always lead to opportunity; tomorrow is ready for us if we are ready for it.