DO WHAT YOU LOVE NOT WHAT THEY LOVE #SheTransformsTech

I was brought up in a village where kids were taught how to be men and women. My parents found the weight of poverty too heavy for their heads to carry. They needed a fulcrum to twist a bad situation to better but never knew what that could be and didn't see technology as a friend but a bad guy so they [parents] didn't believe it to save souls.

They kept reminding me and my cousins about the duties of mothers and fathers when we grow up. Boys, to build themselves an empty shelter in the hills of suffering and girls to be brides even if their bodies are not ready and should ignore the bitterness of their marital homes example domestic violence.

At age ten I began my journey of becoming a man in a boy’s skin. In the bare hands of the sun, I left my body burning blistered from life’s fire. I became a fearless bird flying at the edges of the sky searching for a single drop of rain to wash the burnt blood from my skin; to renew my faith and hope.

During my high school in 2008, by what I have been seeing outside my friend's world who were into the hub of technology. Technology helped them to be free, connected, and socialised. They became more conversant with what was happening in the country and around the world. I featured technology to be a part of me, to show me how to smile, be a simple man, and be hopeful. In 2011, I sat my West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate Exams [WASSCE], then my uncle asked me what I would like to do whiles waiting for my result.

I told him I wanted to do networking. He said no let me join the army since my uncle is in there. I said I do not want to be a soldier of guns and bullets. He then said let me go and do teaching practice then I said I do not want to be a teacher. I want to do want I love. He said if I want to do IT or networking let me go and find my money for myself so he left me in the harsh wind. My lips were empty, tears hung in the corners of my eyes like dry leaves ready to fall from the tree. On October 17th, 2019, I left the village to follow the footsteps of my passion of becoming an IT expert but mostly to do networking. Life was sour and didn't favour me during my five years plus on the street finding hard jobs just to save money to do my networking but no avail.

In 2014 I joined WAYoutarts, a UK charity organisation based in Sierra Leone that works to empower disadvantage and unprivileged street youth with professional media skills such as video editing, sound engineering, graphic design, and more... I found myself in the field of sound engineering [ music production]. I took it to be my long dream [ networking] because I can connect sound and voices and make them a happy family with sweet rhyme and rhythm. In a class of 12, today, 80% of underground street local musicians recognised me as the fastest producer on the campus. I am not paid to do this but I love doing it because I found freedom in doing it.