My life has always been a journey of the best kind. I am from the US but live in Sierra Leone, West Africa with my husband (2 years) from Italy. In 1994, when I was 38, I became the Executive Director of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect which led me to working with war-affected children and ultimately getting my Ph.D. in Human Organization and Development. When I left ISPCAN I thought it was the worst possible news. Well what was in store was even more exciting.

I decided I wanted to work directly with people working to improve children’s lives internationally. A week later I was hired for a project in Sierra Leone, Africa to set up a psychosocial project for war-affected children. A year after that I was enrolled in school for a Ph.D. My dissertation was about the relationship between trauma healing and forgiveness in refugees of war.

In 1996, I was involved in the Bloody Coup in Sierra Leone. It was a defining time. I became clearer about what I wanted to do with my life. The clearer I get with what I want to do the more opportunities that reflect that clarity show up in my experience. It was at this time that a good friend suggested I start my own organization (LemonAid Fund http://www.lemonaidfund.org/) so I could really make the difference I wanted to in the lives of people who had been affected by war and other extreme difficulties. It is named after her spirit, a prime example of making “Lemonade”. I now give my full time attention to fulfilling my dream of making a difference in more and more people’s lives.

I so appreciate so many people here at O.Net helping me make my dream come true.