LitWorld's partners and the LitKids we serve together are the heart of what we do, and we are thrilled to share with you some of their stories and insights from this year with our Partner Spotlights!
This week, we’re welcoming Sona Traore: our Partnership Coordinator at LEAD Africa Monrovia Football Academy in Liberia. Stay tuned to hear more from our community-based partners about how they've been working to stay safe, strong, and hopeful this year—all thanks to the support of people like you.
Q: Tell us about this year and how the pandemic has affected your community?
Sona: We were all affected by the pandemic. When coronavirus hit in March, we kept our students with us on campus. LitClub mentors followed the weekly Virtual LitClub curriculum, which I found helpful because these were unusual times that forced us to be innovative. COVID-19 affected our communities, but we strove through it all and made sure our students were actively participating despite all that was happening.
Sona Traore
Q: How have you been running LitWorld's programs this year?
Sona: Our students love LitClubs! The weekly activities gave them something to look forward to during the virus. I incorporated more stories, music, dance, and creative writing for older students, arts for younger students, and gave daily updates on virus prevention.
It was challenging, but if there's one thing this virus has taught us, it's that we have to come together as a community to fight anything that will break us.
Q: Which of the 7 Strengths feels closest to your community?
Sona: Our community consists of all 7 Strengths, but we would choose Hope, Courage, and Kindness—especially in the time of the pandemic. Hope kept us going even though we had no idea when all this would be over. We had the courage to go through each day with optimism.
We extended our hands to community members and became more united to overcome the fear of the pandemic.
Q: What does "serious joy" mean to you?
Sona: As a teacher and mentor, serious joy is waking up everyday knowing that my students are happy. It's seeing them strive everyday to make their stories different. It's the enthusiasm my students have for learning, and making sure that I don't lose my motivation to nurture that enthusiasm. It's working towards building a better future for the young people of my country. Serious joy is a LitClub class where we learn, laugh, make mistakes, and unite using our stories.