Saran Kaba Jones, Face Africa Founder, Ladybrille Woman ‘Alum’ and all around brilliant woman, has some very inspiring words to motivate you if you ever think of giving up!
On October 16, 2016, Jones shared the following note on her social media pages:
“This day 2 years ago, I had one of the most epic and humbling experiences of my life.
This is me, in Berlin with Nobel Prize winners Kailash Satyarthi and Muhammad Yunus right before the three of us met the German President and shared a stage/panel discussing the role of civil society in changing the world. The Robert Bosch foundation thought I belonged on that stage with these 2 giants and I remember being blown away when I first received their invitation. This was also the time when Ebola was raging in West Africa and had already killed thousands of people in Liberia. I used the opportunity and stage to highlight the crisis and the role that FACE Africa was playing in slowing the spread of the disease.
Shortly after our talk, the Bosch Foundation provided FACE Africa with its single largest grant to date, 150,000 euros towards our Ebola efforts in Rivercess, Liberia. I still remember the tremendous amount of work my team and I put in in Rivercess and I am proud today that we played a small but meaningful role in ending Ebola in Liberia. Thank you Emmett, Dave, Keiko, John, Ernest, JayJay, Reynold, Tony, George, Benjamin, Medini and all the rest for your sacrifice and efforts!)
It has been 2 years since the Bosch Foundation conference and I remember falling in love with Berlin and telling my husband I had to spend some time living in that city. The universe heard my call and delivered. Earlier this year I was presented with yet another incredible opportunity. A one year, paid resident fellowship in Berlin to pursue research on a topic of my choosing at one of the most prestigious institutions in Germany.
I write this as a prepare for a flight to Tokyo to attend the World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders Annual Summit. I sometimes marvel at the blessings and opportunities that have come my way through my work with FACE Africa. If there is one thing my journey has (taught) me, it is that to get to anywhere worthwhile and attain what YOUR definition of success is, you have to start from the ground level. Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in installments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow and of course there are setbacks along the way. Many many setbacks. But ultimately, the power lies within you to fearlessly conquer those challenges and setbacks and turn them into achievements. I still don’t have it figured out but one thing I do know for sure, is that YOU are the only person that can create the life you want. ????”
Meet Saran Kaba Jones in this throwback interview with Ladybrille Magazine:
Courtesy photo
Founded in 2007, Ladybrille® Magazine is a California based pioneer digital publication demystifying the image of Africans in the west through contemporary African fashion and celebrating the brilliant woman in business and leadership, with an emphasis on the African woman in the diaspora. Our coverage includes stories on capital, access to markets, expertise, hiring and retention, sales, marketing, and promotions.
