Hannah Foday

My name is Hannah Kema Foday. I was born a Mende woman in Segbwema, southeastern Sierra Leone in Mendeland. I was raised until the age of five in nearby Nyandeyema (meaning "on beautiful waters"), my ancestral home. I then moved to Freetown, returning to Nyandeyema for school vacations. I earned a Bachelor's degree in French and English from Fourah Bay College. Today I live in New York City, and I am married with three children. I feel strongly about passing on my Mende culture to them.