Lauren Thompson

Lauren journeyed with the CCC as a recent Yale alumnus. She earned her B.A. in Ethics, Politics, and Economics in 2005. At the time, she was the Woodbridge Fellow to President & Secretary of Yale. She continued her fellowship in 07-08, researching intellectual property issues for the Office of the General Counsel. Since 2007, she has served as an Advisor to the Board of the Maryland-based nonprofit Americans for Informed Democracy. She remains keenly focused on international development, education policy, children's rights, and institutions for social justice and will carry these interests into her next adventure as a law student in Fall 2008.

"...Sing a song, full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us." These are the famous lyrics of James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the Black National Anthem. But today, here on my first day in Sierra Leone - my first day in Africa - it is my international anthem.

At a market in Freetown, I maneuver between narrow rows of goods and persuasive merchants. Somewhere between the masks of ebony wood and fabric so bright it could be a visual representation of my mood here, I see a carved wooden plaque. I am drawn to the inscription: "There is no success without struggle." It speaks to me because of what I have learned about the history of Sierra Leone and what I've seen so far in the capital, Freetown. The country has emerged following a brutal and devastating eleven years of civil war as one of the "least livable" places in the world according to United Nations standards. From roadside scrap metal and enormous potholes in barely paved roads to families bathing beneath bridges and children with amputated limbs, the signs of struggle are painfully evident. The simple statement on the carving reminds me, however, that I am not only here to witness the root causes of poverty, but also to experience the grassroots of success.

After spending two days in Freetown, we have arrived at a project site in the Bo District - ProFARM (Providing Food, Access, Rights and Community Mobilization.) Looking at the ground, I see a grasshopper - about as long as my forefinger - making his way down an otherwise pristine row of crops. Next to me are the beautiful, strong women who run the farm. I feel so honored to be in their presence and I ask about the grasshopper. They tell me that he's the enemy, but they have a plan for fighting him (I like their style already!) To ward him and his friends away from the crops, the women catch the grasshoppers, grind them up, mix their remains with water, and pour this ingenuous "pesticide" over the crops. Not only is this organic, but I think of it as a metaphor for fighting poverty: Identify the roots of a problem, be innovative in finding a resourceful solution, and apply the tactics liberally.

Development, as experienced and felt by me in Sierra Leone thus far, is about the daily triumphs and struggles of individuals, communities, and countries to achieve their highest potential. Sometimes, this potential is only about five years old, three feet tall, and smiling right in front of you. Lifting one small hand, she greets me in a village near Bo and in this moment, I am convinced I must be in the richest place on earth. The joy in this little girl's face is amazing and I am overwhelmed by her strength. She is protectively and confidently holding her infant sister; both have protrusions from their stomachs, which I later learn are indications of umbilical hernias - an ailment easily treated in most babies in the United States. Like so many others I have met in Sierra Leone, she has hope in her eyes. I think it's because she has good examples to watch in her community. The women in her village participate in two of CARE's income-generating activities -- soap-making and cassava-processing. CARE has provided the tools, such as cranks and ovens, and has also offered skills training in basic literacy and numeracy. The combination of tools and knowledge has given these women so much more than income - they now have a stake in the social and economic rights of their village and the opportunity to build a sustainable livelihood. The baby and her sister have role models thanks to CARE. From observing strong and successful women in my own life, I realize that this is one of the first steps in a child believing that she too, is strong and she too, has the power to change her world.

It wasn't even the night without electricity in one of our accommodations in Bo or the frequent flicker of lights during our last nights in Freetown that illuminated this idea for me: Generators are not what power a country. CARE understands that empowerment is like arranging the circuitry for an entire community - enabling individuals to work together and creating a network so effective that it will spark the light of hope and progress for generations to come.

On our last day, in the thick of the humid afternoon air, the helicopter lifts off. We're all humming with energy, remarking on the view of Freetown below, recalling facts from on our recent meeting with U.S. Ambassador Thomas Hull, or saying half-joking prayers for our brief flight across the bay. Jurist has been recruited to hold my hand because I'm not-so-secretly the fearful flyer of the group (Chelsea comes in a close 2nd!) I realize that unlike on the helicopter ride from Lungi Airport to Freetown when we arrived, my eyes are open this time and I'm taking in my last views of the country that has shown me the true depths of the human spirit and the power to overcome. Over the loud hum of the engines, I hear my own song for Sierra Leone, for my 10 traveling companions, for CARE, and for my generation: Let us march on till the victory over poverty is won.