Dear All,
I have been conducting a 5-month internship with the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) in Freetown, Sierra Leone and will be
returning to the Philadelphia area to begin university studies again on 22
January. During my time in Sierra Leone, I have been working on developing
Migration and Development Projects. Specifically, I have been running a
Diaspora Skills Transfer project which assists Sierra Leonean nationals
residing in The Netherlands in returning for short-term sequential visits
(between 1 month and 6 months, with many extending their time longer or
returning for 2nd and 3rd stays) to work with host organizations in their
country of origin--training, teaching, and capacity building--according to
their skills and expertise acquired abroad.
The success that I have seen with this project and the impact that these men
and women have had on different sectors of the economy in these short 5
months is amazing, and I want to continue working after I return to the US
to develop a similar project among Sierra Leoneans in the US. I love this
work, and I am very excited about the potential that these kinds of programs
have.
With the recent peaceful elections and successful transition of power in the
Sierra Leonean Government, as well as the overwhelming support that the
current APC administration received from the Diaspora in the US (financially
and intellectually), I feel that there will be no better time than now to
begin this kind of project. Showing further proof is that many of the new
Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers are even new returnees from the US!
The new President, Ernest Bai Koroma, has stressed time and time again that
the Diaspora will be crucial in the future development of this country, and
I want to take part in facilitating its success.
If this project and the research involved sounds interesting to you in any
way, could you please contact me? Feel free to give me any advice and
guidance that you think necessary. I have only been doing Research and
Practicals on Migration and Development for one year, and I'm sure that many
of you have much more experience that you can provide. Also, If you know
someone who is Sierra Leonean or would otherwise have interest in this
project, could you please forward this mail to him or her? In order to be
attractive to IOM, the US government, and other potential donors, this
project must obviously be demand-driven, so I need support. I want to work
with you to make this dream possible.
Thank you in advance for any support or information you can provide me with.
I look forward to working with you in the future.
Best regards,
Robyn Mello
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