Senegal delegation blog gives a taste of the experience

Last December’s Colorado delegation visit to Senegal left indelible impressions on those who participated. 

One participant, Lisa Neal-Graves, kept a diary in the form of a blog during the trip. Lisa is the CEO of a new entity formed by CU School of Medicine, the Aurora Wellness Community, an innovative collaborative focused on addressing the social determinants of health. She is a senior executive and thought leader with more than 25 years of experience with

multinational, Fortune 50, mid-size growth, and start-up corporations.

Lisa’s blog is well worth reading in its entirety here.

Here is an excerpt from her post summarizing the trip to give you a taste:

This experience was great because it was with a wonderful group of people. Our hosts, Papa and Astu Dia were absolutely incredible. Their patience and generosity exceeded all of our expectations. 

I also met some incredible folks from Colorado who are also fans of the Dia Family! We are now a Senegalese family and are committed to supporting the African Leadership Group in developing programs, projects, and services that support breaking barriers and building partnerships for success! 

This group was composed of key Colorado leaders in nonprofits and various industries. It was great putting names to faces. I really appreciated the opportunity to get to know each of the members of our delegation. Our mutual humility experienced during this process enabled us to appreciate and admire the strangeness shared by our native brothers and sisters. This delegation is truly Team Awesome!

Although I was gone for less than two weeks, this experience forever changed my life. I’ve watched Papa Dia operate so selflessly on behalf of the community of immigrants from the diaspora, and while I have helped, we haven’t developed a strategy to create a plan for great impact from his work!  

This is my new commitment. I spoke with so many young, talented, brilliant people who will benefit from an actual strategy to maximize the impact of our delegation’s contribution to the gateway to the Motherland. Witnessing the beautiful disposition of my brothers and sisters in Senegal, I want to find joy in my privilege, remember the lessons learned from our ancestors, and use those lessons to do and be better!