Ariana Oluwole
Ariana Oluwole is an executive coach, holistic educator, and Multipotentialite Entrepreneur. Her flagship coaching program 'Live and Lead Your Best Life' provides holistic strategies for Africans, the diaspora, and professionals navigating multiple cultures and teams. When she is not Empowering People, Teams & Systems to Thrive. Queen A can be found speaking to plants with a nice cup of tea.
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World Mental Health Day 2025: Tackling Sierra Leone’s Drug Crisis with Universal Care and Support
When a Crisis Hits Home In April 2024, Sierra Leone declared a national emergency on drug abuse, targeting the synthetic drug known locally as kush. Reuters reported that the government’s declaration came after a surge in addiction, deaths, and hospitalizations that have shaken the nation. The drug: cheap, potent, and often mixed with dangerous substances such as tramadol, synthetic opioids, formaldehyde, or even ground bone; has left families and communities reeling. The devastation is visible. Young people are collapsing on the streets. Hospitals are overflowing. Families are losing hope. This is no longer just a public health concern: it is a moral, social, and psychological crisis. On World Mental Health…
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The Self-Care Revolution: How Professionals in 2025 Are Rewriting the Rules of Work and Wellbeing
It begins, as so many modern confessions do, with a phone that won’t stop humming. A Lagos-based consultant wakes at 3am, compulsively scrolling through unread emails. In São Paulo, a teacher finds herself snapping at her own children after a day spent managing both a classroom and WhatsApp parent groups. In Berlin, a startup founder whispers into the blue light of his laptop: “Just one more hour.” Across continents, the professional class is coming to the same realisation: we are not machines, and the myth of infinite productivity is breaking us. The old gospel of hustle: stay late, always reply, sleep when you are dead is being replaced by something…
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The Inspiring Journey of Sorie Sesay: Overcoming Down Syndrome Stigma in Sierra Leone
Adama Fofanah is a mother whose love, courage, and determination saved her son’s life and gave him a future filled with hope. Sorie Sesay, who is her son, lives with Down syndrome. His condition did not show at birth, until after six months. Like any other day Adama left Sorie in the care of a relative to fetch water from one of the streams at her village to do some chores. When she returned, her world turned upside down; she met Sorie paralyzed, without any explanation from those who had watched him. The community, lacking understanding, began to spread harmful rumours, branding him a “devil child” and claiming he was…
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Therapeutic Laziness: Why Rest is the New Power Against Hustle Culture in 2025
September is often framed as the month of seriousness. In many places, it signals the return to routine! Children in uniform, offices brimming with renewed intensity, and a cultural expectation to shake off the languor of summer. In some African cities, September means traffic grows thicker, schools resume their bustling cadence, and social calendars speed up. For professionals in the diaspora, it is the sprint to year-end deliverables; for those shuttling between two or more homes, the reminder of competing obligations across continents and cultures. But in September 2025, the narrative has shifted. A quiet, intentional rebellion is taking place. Across Lagos, Johannesburg, Nairobi, London, Toronto, and Atlanta, people are…
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Curiosity as a Catalyst for Growth: How Asking Questions Drives Personal, Social, and Innovative Success
In the grand African tradition of storytelling and questioning, curiosity stands as a mighty catalyst- one that does more than just scratch the surface of things. It is the humbling, insatiable force that propels personal transformation, fuels ground-breaking innovation, and weaves the intricate threads of community connection. Curiosity, at its core, is the bold art of asking “Why?” and “What if?” and not resting until the depths of understanding are plumbed. Cultivating Curiosity: The Root of Self-Awareness Curiosity pushes the mind to venture beyond the familiar, catalysing continuous learning and self-discovery. Science shows that curious people engage brain circuits associated with reward and learning, releasing dopamine, ever heard about the…
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The Back-to-School Survival Guide for Parents in West Africa: Managing Stress, Costs, and New Routines
When Mariama, a mother of three in Freetown, was asked how she feels about the start of the school year, she laughed nervously: “It is like running a marathon without training. One day it’s holidays, the next day you are standing in the market arguing about shoe prices and searching for a missing belt.” Across Sierra Leone and West Africa, Mariama’s words echo in countless homes. The back-to-school rush is not just about sharpened pencils and new timetables: it is about the emotional, financial, and logistical weight that families carry every year. And the numbers back the stories. Mental health: The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 7 adolescents…
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From Struggle to Strength: Neneh’s Inspiring Journey with Cerebral Palsy
Osman and Fatmata are the proud parents of Neneh, a bright and resilient young girl who has been living with cerebral palsy for fifteen years. Neneh’s journey has been one marked by challenges, determination, and ultimately, hope. Just three days after her birth, Neneh began to show signs of physical complications. As a result, her parents took her to Ola During Children’s Hospital where she was admitted. After she was discharged, there was a recurring concern which alarmed her parents; whenever she had a fever, Neneh would regress from walking to crawling. This was not only physically difficult for her but also emotionally draining for her family. The emotional toll…
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From Influencers to Innovators: How the Creator Economy Is Redefining Success in 2025
August 2025 Across the Global South, a creative uprising is quietly transforming lifestyles into sustainable start-ups, with influencers leading the charge. Picture this: a teenager in Nairobi makes a 30-second skit on her cracked-screen phone. By dawn, she is trending in Lagos, stitched in Cape Town, and reposted in London. A few months later, Njeri is sitting on a panel about Africa’s digital future not because she is famous, but because she turned content into currency, and currency into community. This is not a fairy-tale. It could be branded as the new order of influence. What started as likes and hashtags has morphed into media companies, lifestyle brands, and even…
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Empathy in Action: Evelyn Bockarie’s Leadership Journey with World Hope International
On a sunlit morning in Freetown, a knock at a humble door signals a quiet revolution. Evelyn Bockarie stands outside, greeted by shy smiles and hopeful eyes. As a Family Support Worker with World Hope International’s Enable the Children (ETC) program, Evelyn is not simply offering therapy. She is creating a path to dignity and belonging for some of Sierra Leone’s most vulnerable children. In serving others, Evelyn is showing that values that transcend borders: deep empathy, unwavering respect, and the conviction that every child, regardless of ability, deserves the chance to thrive. Her approach is rooted in the core principles of humanitarian action; humanity, impartiality, and inclusiveness. Recent UN…
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Faith Arnolda Ethel Coker: Leading With Heart, Healing With Courage, Inspiring Change
In Sierra Leone, a beautiful nation still bearing the scars of war, environmental disasters and socio-economic challenges, there rises a young leader with a vision more powerful than circumstances. Faith Arnolda Ethel Coker is not just a name; but a rising leader with the unshakable belief that even small acts of courage can create ripple effects of transformation. At just a young age, Faith has become a light bearer in spaces shrouded by silence. Her work in mental health advocacy and youth empowerment transcends projects and awards. It is the story of a girl who grew up watching pain go unnamed, who turned her scars into tools of leadership, and…
