I first felt God calling me to a place of actually caring for Africa sometime in 2006 or 2007. I watched a video that would eventually give me thoughts that would eventually become ideas that would eventually become (in some form or another) AFRCN APPRL. It was at that point in my life that I just felt like I HAD to do something for Africa.

So, in helping to build AFRCN APPRL, I did loads of research and kind of became an encyclopedia of things going on in Africa. I met with people from different NGO’s, spoke with people who had traveled the continent, and even visited myself—each with goal of understand how I could make an impact in Africa. At some point during my research phase, I happened upon the African Leadership Academy—a school the seeks to better Africa’s future by equipping Africa’s young people with leadership and business skills—and immediately fell in love. Incorporating so many things (values, beliefs, passions) that were dear to me, ALA shot to the top of the list of my favorite African projects.

In late 2009, AFRCN APPRL launched and I put all of my Africa-geared self into trying to make it a job-creating, life-changing, continent-benefitting business. Honestly, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but we worked like hell and we learned a lot, especially early on. I can’t speak for Andy and Ryan, but I felt like I was doing all that I could to make for a better future in Africa. Until last July, that is, when I realized I could be doing more.