As the former head teacher of a local school, upon her return to Koidu, she used the classrooms to shelter herself and her five children, along with ten other children whose parents were killed during the war. She was able to mobilize her fellow teachers to make bricks to put up a small housing unit so that the children could move out of the classrooms.

"After the training," says Musa, "I found out that staying discouraged about my situation wouldn't help – I needed to do something practical about it. We were able to engage our school children, along with our relatives, in helping us. They molded each brick for fifty cents. The lesson that dealt with looking into the needs of other people in the community helped me a great deal.”

When asked why she decided to take the training, Mary Musa said, "Because I am a leader. When we came back after the war, we had so many problems. We leaders are also under much stress. Undergoing this training has helped me tremendously in carrying out my activities.”

Although she has a rough road ahead as people in Koidu learn to transition back into a peaceful society, the USAID training has allowed her to use her abilities and her patience in solving difficult situations around her for both herself and for other members of the community. "I have now discovered that through my own potential, I can do much to assist my children, myself, and my community."

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