OUR FOUNDER
Mariatu Kargbo
A LIFE OF SERVICE. A FUTURE FOR GENERATIONS.
Faith. Service. Education. Health.
Guided by faith in God, Mariatu Kargbo founded African Nursing Alliance to strengthen nurses, serve communities, and expand access to health education and care across Africa. Through every effort, the organization seeks to honor God and improve the lives of those it serves.
Words that describe this journey: Faith. Healing. Service. Purpose.
MY JOURNEY
From Sierra Leone to a God-Given Calling
This photograph was taken in Sierra Leone when I was two years old. At that age, I could not have known how much my life would soon change. I was born there, but I left while I was still very young and began elementary school in the United States. Because of this, my connection to Sierra Leone was shaped by distance, childhood memories, unanswered questions, and the stories I carried with me.
When I was four years old, my parents left me behind. A child that young cannot fully understand why a parent leaves. A child only recognizes the absence. Being left behind can create questions that remain long after the moment has passed: Was I wanted? Was I remembered? Would someone return for me? Those questions can affect how a child understands love, safety, belonging, and personal worth.
For years, I carried parts of that experience without having the words to explain them. The pain did not always announce itself openly. Sometimes it appeared as a desire to feel secure, a need to prove that I was capable, or a determination to build a life that could not easily be taken away. What happened to me became part of my story, but by God’s grace, it did not become the final word over my life.
God’s presence in my journey does not mean that every painful event was good or easy to understand. It means that I was never beyond His sight. Even when I felt forgotten by people, I was not forgotten by God. He sustained me through transitions I could not control and gave me strength before I understood where that strength came from. Over time, He helped me see that my worth was not determined by who left, what I lacked, or what I had endured. My identity belonged to Him.
Growing up and beginning my education in the United States opened a new chapter in my life. I learned to adapt to a different country and culture while carrying questions about the place where I was born. Education became more than a path to achievement. It became a source of stability and a way to imagine a different future. Nursing later gave that education a purpose: to care for people when they are vulnerable and to serve them with dignity.
When I returned to Sierra Leone in January 2024, I did not encounter the idealized sense of community I might once have imagined. I saw needs that were real and complex. The visit challenged some of my assumptions and required me to see the country as it is, rather than only through memory, distance, or sentiment. Returning did not answer every question about my past or create an immediate sense of belonging. Instead, it gave me a clearer understanding of the work that remains to be done. That experience strengthened my conviction that meaningful service must begin with truth. It requires listening before leading, understanding before acting, and respecting the people we hope to serve. It also requires humility. I do not return as someone who has all the answers or as someone coming to rescue others. I return as a nurse, educator, and servant who is willing to learn, collaborate, and use what God has placed in my hands.
African Nursing Alliance grew from this conviction. Its purpose is not to glorify my accomplishments or make my personal journey the center of the work. It exists to equip nurses, strengthen healthcare education, and support communities through responsible, compassionate service. My experiences may help explain why this mission matters so deeply to me, but God is the reason I have the strength, opportunity, and responsibility to pursue it. This is not simply a story about leaving Sierra Leone and returning years later. It is a story of what God can do with a life marked by separation, adaptation, and unanswered questions. He can meet a child who feels left behind, restore her sense of worth, and teach her to recognize the needs of others. He can transform pain into compassion, education into service, and personal experience into a calling that reaches beyond one person.
Whatever good comes through this journey belongs to God. My prayer is that African Nursing Alliance will reflect His love through integrity, humility, excellence, and care, and that every life touched by this work will point not to me, but to His faithfulness.
A LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER
Called to Serve Through Nursing & Education
To Those Who Believe in Serving Others
I did not start African Nursing Alliance because I believed I could solve Africa’s healthcare challenges alone. I began this work in response to a need I could no longer simply observe and a calling I could no longer ignore. By God’s grace, ANA is taking steps to strengthen nursing education, equip healthcare professionals, and support the communities they serve. I believe education can open doors, strengthen systems, and help people care for others with greater skill, confidence, and compassion.
This vision is larger than one person or organization. It will require prayer, humility, wise partnerships, and people willing to serve. I invite you to join us in creating opportunities for African nurses to receive the education, resources, and support they need to provide excellent care.
May every life strengthened through this work reflect God’s faithfulness and bring glory to Him.
Mariatu Kargbo
Founder, African Nursing Alliance
