I recently discovered a new word: sonder. It means the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.

One of my main goals in coming to Sierra Leone is sharing what I learn here with my community back home in an effort to dispel the ‘single story’ of Africa that is so often presented to us in the US. When we see commercials every day with poor, young African children, hear about the latest Boko Haram attack in the news, or read a story about a tourist being held for ransom, it can be easy to forget (or never realize) that Africa is filled with innovative people striving to make change in their communities just like you and me.

To learn more about the dangers of a single story, check out this Ted Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie called ‘The Danger of a Single Story.’

(As for the Salone part, that’s what the locals call Sierra Leone!)