This June, Brianan Kiernan will be joining the CWS Team as the new volunteer Ghana Country Director. We are so thrilled to have Brianan as a part of our team and think that she is going to do an amazing job managing our operations in Ghana!  For all you Bostonians out there, Brianan will be running the Boston Marathon today, so be on the look-out for her! GO BRIANAN!

-Kate

Let me just start off by saying that I am thrilled to join the CWS team in Ghana this upcoming June as the Ghana Country Director! It has been only three months since I participated in the CWS fellowship program and I could not be more excited to get back.

In May, I will be graduating from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with a focus in Economics. I have always had an interest in international development and social justice but was unsure of how I would fit into the mix.

After participating in the Community Water Solutions Fellowship program this winter, I realized that I belong in the field! In my studies, I have seen the statistics, read the theories and learned about international and non-governmental organizations. So it was amazing to finally get to see the application of development work that organizations like CWS provide and the positive results that come of it.

Working with the women, Mariama and Azara, from the village of Kpachiyili, reminded me of our common humanity on this one planet that we all share. On our last day in Kpachiyili, Azara left my team with some words of wisdom. She said that all of the work we have done for her village, Kpachiyili, has had great, positive results. But she added that we should not forget about Kpachiyili when we return home. We need to tell people of our experiences and about the people in this village. When we leave, we must remember.

Upon returning to Boston, Azara’s words have stuck with me in thinking about her village but also in thinking about the people in this world who do not have access to basic necessities like clean drinking water. This June, when I return to work with CWS, I am looking forward to ensuring that the CWS water businesses remain sustainable for the 20,000 people who have been given a safe water source. I am so happy to be apart of CWS and I cannot wait to get started!

-Brianan