I am currently working on St Helena as a volunteer to strengthen Civil Society organisations. This is a tiny island in the South Atlantic, once a place of exile for Napoleon, Zulu kings and Boer fighters, a refuge, and sadly grave, for slaves taken from illegal slave ships and where ships used to call for supplies on the long sea voyages before the Suez canal opened.
Today it is more isolated than ever with only the RMS St Helena calling regularly but there is a chance of an airport being built!
Before coming here I worked in rural and community development in Ghana and the UK for over 30 years at grassroots level, making the voices of women and young people heard and addressing inequalities. I like to see how the connections can be made between the needs of vulnerable people and the structures and organisations that exist if they stop to listen.