Every Thanksgiving, I return to a question I ask my coaching clients, the teams that I work with, and occasionally myself on challenging days: “What beauty are you rushing past?” As a holistic educator and an executive coach, gratitude is one of the most powerful tools I teach: not because it is trendy, but because…

In October 2023, Ariana Diaries featured Samesther Hannah Kargbo as a passionate changemaker igniting the movement for girls’ leadership in Sierra Leone. Two years later, that spark has grown into a transformative flame. A structured, youth-driven movement reshaping how girls see themselves and how the world sees them. From advocacy to implementation, from voice to…

At the heart of creative expression lies the potential not only to delight the senses, but to spark awareness, facilitate healing and drive social change. October is internationally recognised as Breast cancer Awareness Month and  Kompin Artists, in collaboration with the Orange Foundation Sierra Leone, transformed their ‘Treasure Our Chests art exhibition’ into a powerful…

Over the past several weeks, we have journeyed through the heart of World Hope International’s work in Sierra Leone, meeting the people behind the mission and witnessing the extraordinary impact of their commitment to dignity, opportunity, and sustainable change. As we close this special feature series, we spotlight one of WHI’s most transformative programs: Enable…

When the email came in marked “urgent,” Maya was already back at her desk, two weeks after losing her pregnancy. The office hummed as usual. Her body ached, her mind floated in and out of focus, but she told no one. “I didn’t want to be the woman who could not cope,” she says. Stories…

In a world where innovation and opportunity are intertwined, 2025 presents Africa’s young minds with a rare advantage the chance to build scalable, future-ready businesses that solve real problems and create wealth across borders. The good news? You do not need to be a Silicon Valley genius or have millions in funding to start. What…

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…

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…

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…

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…