SADC Team | SierrAfricaNetwork

SierrAfrica Diaspora Connect offers a platform for reconnection, investment, and legacy-building. Whether you're a traveler, donor, educator, or heritage enthusiast, you are invited to be part of this powerful journey to ensure the stories of Bunce and Tasso Islands live on—honored, shared, and sustained.

OUR HISTORY: In February 2020, Consult DSA (CDSA), a US-based management consulting firm, visited the historic British slave castle on Bunce Island and the adjacent Tasso Island in Sierra Leone. At the time of the visit, Tasso Island residents (5,500 people) lived without clean water, electricity, or sufficient sanitation. With a desire to improve the living environment on Tasso Island, CDSA funded a solar power project that brought electricity to the island's medical clinic, schools, and places of worship. However, after the global pandemic, funding for the project was no longer feasible, and CDSA began exploring funding avenues to continue the infrastructure development work on Tasso Island.

In 2022, a Booz Allen Hamilton executive took an interest in the Tasso Island project, as he believed that Wi-Fi could be a catalyst for generational change and economic development on Tasso Island. With this dedication and knowledge, he invited the founder of RowdyOrb.it to join the core group. RowdyOrb 's founder connected the team with the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health’s (JHUBSPH) Applied Environmental Health Practice (AEHP) course. One of the course projects involved completing a White Paper on Internet Access as a Social Determinant of Health on Tasso Island. A press release communicating the global project attracted the attention of a Sierra Leonean National, who lives in the United Kingdom. The Barrister also served as a Trustee of the Anti-Slavery Society and Anti-Slavery International.  Since 2023, JHUBSPH professor has included projects for her AEPH class. Two of her class members joined the team, a climate analyst and a medical doctor from Ghana who practices at Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 2024, the team expanded to include a certified accountant and nonprofit professional, and a communication professional from the United Kingdom. Our team includes a Sierra Leonean community organizer who provides practical knowledge and onsite outreach. In 2025, the grassroots group officially organized as SierrAfrica Diaspora Connect in Georgia (USA) and established a Heritage and Legacy touring company in Sierra Leone.

The project will be bolstered by the participation of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Africa. GEN Africa will advance the project by leveraging its experience and best practices gained from ecovillage networks and sustainable communities worldwide. GEN Africa will engage the Tasso Island community in profit-making activities that leverage their unique strengths, geography, and community interests.

SADC Executive Team

Join us on our journey as we continue to make a difference, one village at a time.

Together, we can build a brighter future for all!

Ms. Marva Goldsmith

(Consult DSA)

"I’ll never forget the first time I set foot on Bunce Island - the air felt heavy. I was gripped with sadness, yet filled with gratitude for my ancestors who chose survival. On Tasso Island, I learned that more than 5,000 people lived without electricity, clean water, or the necessities that we consider basic in the United States. My heart sank, and in that moment, I knew I couldn’t just walk away."

In 2020, Marva Goldsmith and her former business partner visited Bunce and Tasso Islands. The visit catalyzed this life-affirming project. Consult DSA funded the first phase of a solar power project that illuminated schools, places of worship, and a clinic on Tasso Island. She was honored by the island's leaders and named Chief Ya Alimamy Kapen (depicts education).

She is the CEO of Consult DSA, a management consulting firm that focuses on process improvement and leadership development.

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Mr. Abdulai Makalor Braima

(Sierra Leone High Commission, London)

"Connecting people and empowering them to discover their natural potential, spread their capabilities, and broaden their horizons is a lifelong passion. As a Pan-Africanist, I believe in the future of a United, progressive, healthy, happy, and self-sustaining Africa—one that begins with truly knowing ourselves and appreciating the beauty of our shared space."

Abdulai Braima is a seasoned professional with a passion for writing and a strong background in education, communications, and community engagement. Currently, he serves as an Information Attaché at the Sierra Leone High Commission (SLHC), where he plays a key role in information management, public relations, and promoting Sierra Leone’s image internationally.

Abdulai is passionate about connecting Africans in the diaspora with their homeland. He advocates for stronger ties between Sierra Leone and its global citizens, promoting investment, tourism, and cultural exchange.

He has been instrumental in bringing key collaborators to the team.

Dr. Megan Weil Latshaw

(Johns Hopkins University)

Dr. Megan Weil Latshaw is the Director of the Master’s degree program in the Department of Environmental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Baltimore, Maryland, USA). She also directs the Applied Principles of Environmental Health course, which pairs graduate students with community partners to provide real-world experience in solving environmental health challenges. As part of the Fall 2022 course offering, students worked with RowdyOrb.it to construct a White Paper, develop an environmental empowerment course, and draft a grant application, all to support Tasso Island residents.

Mr. Errol Reid LL.M, BA (Hons.)

(Law Barrister, Sierra Leonean National)

Errol Reid is a London-based Sierra Leonean National who is a practicing Barrister and Attorney in St. Lucia and the Caribbean with interests in international law and human rights. Errol received a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Essex. As an advocate, he has campaigned and organized meetings to protect Aborigines in Australia, Slavery in Sudan, and West Papua, and Child Soldiers in Africa. In 2022, Mr. Reid, along with a group of others, donated desks to Tasso Island schools. Mr. Reid learned about this initiative through a press release announcing the JHU students’ success. He has served as a valuable link to the funding community in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Bamikole Roberts, BSc, MSc, FCCA, PGCE

(Certified Chartered Accountant, Entrepreneur)

Bamikole Roberts is a Certified Chartered Accountant with over 25 years of experience in accounting and lecturing at Further Education colleges across the UK. He is the founder of two UK-registered charities:

Save Children in Africa in Need (SCAN) delivers education, health, and social development projects across Africa.
Empowering Young Minds (EYM) creates environments where young people can discover and cultivate their talents.

He was invited to join the team by Abdulai Bramai to provide strategic guidance and financial management.

Dr. Ama Apenteng

(Johns Hopkins University)

Dr. Ama Apenteng is a practicing medical doctor from Ghana at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. As someone with a strong passion for community service, she especially appreciates the project's commitment to helping an underprivileged community in West Africa, which is also home to Ghana. Dr. Apenteng was introduced to this project through Dr. Megan Latshaw's Applied Principles of Environmental Health course and serves as a key member.

Ms. Iman Habib, MSc

(Climate Policy Analyst at Progressive Maryland)

Iman Habib is a Climate Policy Analyst at Progressive Maryland, where she provides research support on environmental justice policy and analyzes environmental and climate policies seeking to advance environmental justice .

She was first introduced to this project through Dr. Latshaw’s Applied Principles of Environmental Health course and served as an integral member of the grant drafting team. She enjoyed the experience so much that she continued to advance the project after the course ended as a core member of our team and a Consult DSA intern.

Dr. Charles Johnson-Bey

(Advanced Technology Consultant)

Dr. Charles Johnson-Bey, a central focal point for building our expanding team, is an advanced technology executive and engineering leader. He is a retired Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., an analytics, digital engineering, and cyber consulting firm. He is also a part of Baltimore Homecoming, a mobilizing network that encourages social and private sector entrepreneurship to empower Baltimore residents in Maryland, USA.

His expertise and contacts have brought key collaborators to our core team.

Mr. Benrick (Ben) Kanu

(SierrAfrica Diaspora Connect)

"While at university, I have had the opportunity, through this project, to learn from development leaders. It has allowed me to explore and connect with people who, despite lacking basic facilities, still smile. I’ve met children who travel miles to take their exams, yet remain hopeful about changing their community. This project has taught me the valuable lesson of finding happiness even when there is little."

Ben Kanu is a Sierra Leone native and the SADC Program Manager. He holds a bachelor's degree in B.A. Degree in History and Political Science, a diploma in Cultural Studies, and additional certificates in Basic Operational Protocol and Ethics. Ben has worked with Consult DSA since 2021.

Ben is responsible for:

Coordinating and implementing the logistics for the SADC Heritage and Legacy tourism and ensuring customer satisfaction.
Managing administrative tasks and coordinating activities with Tasso Island leaders and stakeholders.
Liaison with Sierra Leonean organizations, governmental entities, or individuals to promote and market the group's initiatives.