You may know Vickie Remoe – writer, TV host, podcaster, active citizen and, now, officially a Schools for Salone Board Member! We are honored that Vickie has joined us and know our organization will benefit from her intellect, experience and energy.

We recently sat down with Vickie to hear more about her story and to find out what attracted her to Schools for Salon

When did you become aware of Schools for Salone (SfS)?

In 2011, I visited the Abigail Butscher Primary School in Calaba Town which was founded by Sierra Leonean-American philanthropist Madieu Williams. He had just won the NFL’s Man Of The Year Award for Outstanding Performance on and off the football pitch. He brought a team of educators and doctors on a medical mission to visit the school. When I interviewed him for my TV Show he said the school had been built in partnership with Schools for Salone. Since then I’ve followed the organization’s work through its partnerships and collaborations and found that it stayed true to its mission to provide access to quality education to communities in need.

What was it about SfS that attracted you most?

While there is a strong commitment to quality education in Sierra Leone, the unmet need in rural and last-mile communities is vast. Communities need schools, teachers need training, and students (especially girls) need safeguarding and support. There are so many reasons why I love this organization! First, I respect and appreciate Cindy’s (Nofziger) efforts and long term commitment to serve Sierra Leone so many decades after she was there as a Peace Corps volunteer. I also believe that the organization’s focus on community-led educational development means its investments will be sustainable. Lastly, I joined SfS because, in my own little way, I want to work with others to mobilize resources to support girl’s education and well-being.

What is your favorite part about being a member of SfS?

My favorite part so far really are the meetings. Everyone is so dedicated to the mission in a way that moves me deeply. I was born in Sierra Leone, my connection to it goes without saying but for members who are not from Salone to be so committed to education there it truly is inspiring.

What role has education access had in your life?

My grandma was taken out of school in grade six and given away for marriage. When my mom was born she was just 16. Throughout my childhood my grandma would say that rhe one regret was not finishing school. So she made sure all five of her children went to college and beyond. And for her grandchildren, especially the girls she was our personal cheerleader. She kept all my report cards since first grade and all my notebooks from primary school. Our last conversation, before she passed in 2011, was the phone call I made to tell her I had been accepted to Columbia Journalism School. She was ecstatic! I have had all the support in the world to become who I am today. From kindergarten to grad school I’ve always had support and access to education. I’ve been able to discover myself, build lasting relations, create value for my community, and learn to be a free and independent thinker thanks to education. I want the same for every Sierra Leonean girl.

Tell us a little bit more about your background and the work you do.

Over the past 16 years I’ve been working to expand Sierra Leone’s presence on the Internet. It started with the SwitSalone blog in 2005,  when I was in undergraduate school and that transformed into a career in TV broadcasting. I founded a boutique marketing communications agency in Ghana in 2013 to meet the then emerging need to help African brands leverage digital platforms to reach wider audiences. Today, I have a team of six multimedia and content producers supporting clients in West Africa and in the diaspora.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to take action to help expand education in Sierra Leone?

My advice to someone who wants to expand education access in Sierra Leone is to seek out organizations like Schools for Salone. You will see the impact of your contributions and not just that, you get a front row seat of the progress being made in communities in need. If you work alone there is only so far you can go – but by working in partnership with leaders and doers who have the experience and expertise in education in Sierra Leone, we can be changemakers together.