Hello from Kono

“Co-op is what you make of it.” 

I heard these words over and over as I began my time at Drexel.  As an International Business and Economics student knowing very little about my field other than I find it interesting, I knew I wanted something more than the “typical co-op.” 

I define a “typical co-op” (warning: oversimplifications and personal opinions follow) as sitting at a cubicle, pecking away at Excel or entering information into an online database with some funny sounding name that is probably an acronym for something.  Though I did not know exactly what I was looking for in my first business co-op, I was pretty sure I wasn’t ready for the cubicle just yet. So I decided to come to West Africa, try to figure this whole “business” thing out for myself, and see “what I could make of it.”

Here I am just outside of Koidu Town, Kono District, Sierra Leone. If you have seen the movie Blood Diamond, that’s exactly where I am.

Kono is one of the most diamond-rich areas in the world, where people around here use to just pick these precious gems out of the ground; no tools needed. Because of this, Kono was ravaged by the civil war just a few years ago and the effects are still present today. In fact, just this afternoon, I met the father of one of the men I work with. I stuck out my right hand out to shake his only to have it clasped by his left. The rebels amputated his right hand during the war.  It was a powerful moment as I looked into his eyes and wondered what it must be like to greet people like this everyday. His eyes spoke to me more than words possibly could.

But on to less morbid topics and why I endured 36 total hours of travel to get here. I am working in a palm oil factory just outside of Koidu town doing what could be labeled as operations management, with a bit of accounting, finance, and economics for good measure. To sum the project up in one sentence would be difficult but I will give it my best shot. We aim to improve Kono by working with local farmers, buying their fruit, processing it into oil and soap, and then selling that in the market to make just enough profit to continue to operate. Unlike most businesses, the objective is not to make as much money as possible but to help as many farmers and people as possible.

The project, backed by some generous individuals in Spain and America, along with a fantastic non-profit over here called the Wellbody Alliance, is still in its early stages — which makes my job both exciting and challenging.  Each day is different than the last and there are always things to look forward to. My next post (not sure when exactly that will be since I only have electricity when we turn the  generator on, and don’t even ask about how slow the dial up internet is) will be a little more specific about exactly what it is that I do each day at work and what it’s like living in a culture far different than the typical college campus. 

This is definitely not Philly.

Daniel Pinto
International Business and Economics
Sustainable Business Research Co-op in Sierra Leone