A Colleague Honors Emma Fofanah

Born in the town of Makeni, Sierra Leone, Emma emigrated to the United States with her husband and children in 1987. After completing her college degree, she took a position as a laboratory technician at Oregon Health Sciences University. But the civil war that engulfed Sierra Leone in the 1990s has had a profound impact on her life. With the loss of friends and family, Emma turned grief into social action, becoming a leader in the Sierra Leonean community in Portland; working to promote cross-cultural dialogue; and participating in a documentary video and curriculum project on women, war, and the peace movement. She continues to be known for her wonderful Sierra Leonean cooking. Read her full biography.

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