Finding My Next Step With Mama Hope

In July, I went straight back to square one. I quit my job, moved back in with my parents and lived off of my savings. Nothing was certain and my future was fuzzy at best. But I knew I had to try. I had to try to make my life into something that I truly wanted. So instead of reconnecting with hometown friends and playing in San Francisco, as my parents and (let's face it) myself had anticipated, I spent hours-on-end locked in my room and scouring the internet. I came up for air only to eat, play with the dog, or check in with the TV. I was on a mission. I was looking for jobs, fellowships, volunteer work, anything that would give me the opportunity to work in Africa. 

I hopped onto idealist.org and searched the keywords "Africa", "education", "Bay Area". I scrolled down while words whizzed up my screen. Until one posting caught my eye. It read, Global Advocate Fellowship with First Fifth Institute:

Do you have a passion to make a meaningful difference in the world; To travel to distant places not as a tourist but as a global citizen? Do you want to leave a huge mark on the world and to be able to look back and see that YOU made a positive impact? Are you willing to give your time, your attention and your dedication to something the incites your passion? If so then the First Fifth might be right for you.

I stopped dead.  I immediately clicked on the link and excitement rushed through me as I landed on the organizations website. 

Then I watched this video:

Done. 

I was done searching. I had just found my next move. For the next week I labored over the application. I read and reread inspiring articles and listened to TED talks and did real soul searching so that my words would be just right. Because I knew, as soon as I had found Mama Hope, that they would be a part of my future. 

A week before my independent volunteer trip to Kenya (which you can read about here), I got an interview. Nyla, the founder of Mama Hope asked me questions I was prepared for and had anticipated. After all, I had lived on the Mama Hope website, investigating all of the components that made up their organization, reading the blogs of the current Global Advocates, watching their videos and listening to interviews. The more I heard, the more excited I became. I had somehow been able to find an organization that touched on all things I desired: a way to break into international development, the opportunity to travel to Africa, involvement with an organization that believes in re-humanizing Africa and unlocking its potential. This was big. And after the interview, I knew I was in.

To get a glimpse of my life in limbo (before Mama Hope and before Kenya, read my post "Goodbye Practicality, Hello Dummy")