On Thursday, June 19th, our team arrived in Makeni for a powerful day of entrepreneurship training in Sierra Leone. Despite torrential rain, 35 passionate entrepreneurs gathered, showing extraordinary commitment and hunger for growth.
I shouldn’t have worried.
When we arrived at our training center, 35 smiling faces greeted us – entrepreneurs who had traveled incredible distances to be there. Some came from Kono (200km away) and slept at the center the night before. Others left Port Loko, Kambia, and Lungi before dawn, determined not to miss this bootcamp.
Then our projector died.
What could have been a disaster became our best teaching moment. Instead of slides, we had conversations. Instead of presentations, we shared stories – real wins, painful failures, and everything in between.
These entrepreneurs represented the full spectrum of Sierra Leone’s innovation: rice farmers revolutionizing production in Kono, cosmetics creators using local shea butter, retail pioneers reaching remote communities, and tech innovators solving age-old problems.
The magic happened when we ditched theory for reality. Working through customer personas, the rice farmer from Kono realized her true customers weren’t just local families – they were busy Freetown professionals craving quality, local grain. The cosmetics entrepreneur from Kambia discovered her natural products appealed to diaspora Sierra Leoneans seeking authentic connections to home.
Here’s what made it special: These 35 entrepreneurs had already been part of our Global Impact Innovators online training for weeks. We’d built trust through our virtual Monday-Friday sessions. That foundation let us dive deep immediately, turning strangers into collaborators in hours.
By day’s end, despite the storm and tech failures, something beautiful emerged. Entrepreneurs were exchanging contacts, planning collaborations, and supporting each other’s dreams. The rain outside was forgotten – replaced by the electric energy of minds meeting and ideas forming.
This Makeni event reminded us why entrepreneurship training in Sierra Leone must be adaptable, human-centered, and rooted in trust.
Find out more about our adventures in Sierra Leone at Global Impact Innovators.
