Blog: Escape with zainab

Still dazed with emotions, I follow slowly down the curved path lined with stacked stones that lead to at an open area. I turn left and see a sign that jolts me into wakefulness. It reads “Interdit aux femmes”- “Women not allowed”.  I stop, look at the local chief who has kindly offered to be...

During my visits to various homes and historical buildings in Dalaba, I found myself repeating one similar action: I kept looking UP. I absolutely fell in love with the traditional decorative ceilings in Dalaba. Unique to Fulani architecture and design and quite unlike the often monochrome flat ceilings of our homes in...

It's been pouring for several consecutive days, keeping everyone indoors. Now that the rain has finally stopped for a day, I'm eager to get out and explore. My companions and I decide to head over to Pouké, a very small enclave in Fouta Djallon. It's on the outskirts of Dalaba,...

I always talk about my Papa because I am a daddy’s girl, but I love my Mama dearly. Haja Yalie Sumu. She was tall, chocolate-skinned and regal, but more importantly she was a philanthropist, influencer, and feminist-- when no one used those terms yet. She loved her family fiercely and...

Growing up in Sierra Leone, the tunes that floated through our home included the beautiful voice of Miriam Makeba. She was of the same generation as my papa and revered during a time when many countries in Africa were fighting for independence. Her lyrics about this struggle did not compute with...