I've decided to make a list. Not just any list, but a list of things that I want to do while I am still able. I've done a lot in my 22 years 5 months and 14 days of life. But I am graduating from college in August, and I have no idea where the next chapter of my life is going to take me. It's a little scary, but that's the best part. Like the saying goes, provhito in altum, dive into the deep unknown.

So what is going to be on this list? 

1. Travel through Nepal, Cambodia, and Thailand

2. Start on a book about my life.

3. Go on a road-trip through America and only eat at local diners.

4. Learn how to sail.

I want to live my life. Not just make money and buy a house and all that stuff, but actually feel alive. That is what this list will remind me to do for the rest of my life....

The Kroo Bay Initiative

I would like to take this time to lay out what The Kroo Bay Initiative actually does. We are still a very new organization, and so we have been a sort of chameleon when it comes to what we do. Here are a few questions that I am always asked, so I would like to explain to help people better understand what I do.

1. Where and what is Kroo Bay?

2. Why Kroo Bay?

3. What do you do?

4. How do you fundraise?

5. How do you plan to sustain your efforts?

1. Kroo Bay is a slum that is located in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is a small country with a population of just over 6 million. It is located in Western Africa between Liberia and Guinea. Kroo Bay slum is located right next to the Atlantic Ocean. 

2. I chose Kroo Bay because on my first trip to Sierra Leone, we took a walk through the slum to show us how bad the poverty was in the country. I was shocked by what I saw, smelt, and heard. I know that there are many places that are just as poor, but this is the first one I experienced and so it has a special place in my heart. 

3. We supply and renovate the two primary schools that are in the slum. Education is the first step in bettering a community, no matter where in the world you are. We are also looking into micro-financing of small businesses to help generate income for these families. 

4. We are still in our infant stages of fundraising. We are practicing grassroots fundraising, much like President Obama did for his campaign. We are reliant on good citizens to donate small amounts to help us finance our goals. We are going to be holding a benefit run/walk on April 18th in Denton, Texas to also raise money. 

5. To sustain our efforts and to get the community involved, we are looking into micro-financing. These small loans will allow adults to start a business that will generate money and will allow their children to go to school instead of searching for scraps. Once their businesses take off, they will be able to take care of themselves, lessening the need for our assistance. 

If you would like to know more or even donate to our cause, you can check out our website at www.kbinitiative.org. 

I decided to start this blog to broadcast my thoughts and feelings on all different aspects of life. As a 22 year old, I feel like I've experienced a lot of things that most people will never experience. I've traveled near and far and I've met some amazing people along the way. Never before have I ever been afraid or hesitant to do anything in my life. I will soon blog my many stories.

Today I want to talk about new beginnings. For those of you who don't know, I started a non-profit organization a little under a year ago. For the past year I have been working hard to try and feel my way through the darkness of getting this organization off the ground. Its far more difficult than one can imagine. There have been many bumps along the way, but I hold faith that it will be successful. 

The new beginnings that I want to express have to do with this past weekend. I attended the second annual Clinton Global Initiative University in Austin, Texas. They had me very busy talking about KBI and attending meetings. I felt like I was always in a rush. I was asked to give a short presentation about KBI at the end of a skill session called Building an Organization. I was nervous, but I consider myself a good public speaker. Little did I know that there was going to be an attack in this skill session. We were supposed to get tips and advice on starting an organization, but instead we were begged to NOT start an organization. The entire session was about how it was a terrible idea to do this. I'm sitting there thinking, oh no, I have to present my organization after these two leaders stressed to not start an organization. Needless to say, I did not deliver the speech that I was hoping to. I felt discouraged.

Luckily this was at the end of the day, so my discouragement didn't ruin the entire day. I thought long and hard about what had happened, and it still makes me sick to my stomach. I came home and wasn't really sure where I stood on the issue. But than I started getting emails from potential partners who are interested in helping out in Kroo Bay. We've started looking at revamping the organization and taking on more goals. Needless to say, my head as been cleared.

I have re-found my purpose in the world of Sierra Leone. I miss it dearly and I am very ready to go back and implement these goals. 

Stay tuned for more updates! And for some great stories!