Family and friends, today we come together not only to honor our mother but in deep reverence—for a life that was not merely lived but given.
My mother, Agatha Elizabeth Greene, was the embodiment of grace, wisdom, and unwavering faith. She lived a life of quiet strength, pouring herself into others with love and sacrifice. Though she is no longer with us in body, her spirit remains, woven into the fabric of our lives, in the lessons she imparted, the kindness she extended, and the faith she instilled in all who knew her.
For over three decades, my mother devoted herself to the noble calling of education, shaping young minds in Sierra Leone with more than just knowledge—she instilled values, dignity, and a profound sense of responsibility toward others. She understood as a teacher that education was about cultivating character, refining the soul, and unlocking the potential of each students that passed through her. She believed that knowledge, when used in service of others, had the power to transform not just individuals, but entire communities.
Some of my earliest memories are of her guiding my small hands as I traced letters onto a worn slate by candlelight. By morning, she would walk briskly beside me, urging me forward so that we would not be late for school—first at the RC School Boys in Kabala, then in Magburaka. She was not just my first teacher; she was the foundation of my lifelong love for learning.
My father’s work in the civil service meant our family moved frequently, uprooting us to new towns, unfamiliar streets, and different schools and churches. Yet, through it all, my mother was our anchor, turning each transition into an opportunity for growth. She softened the dislocation with love and care, ensuring that no matter where we landed, we were never truly lost.
A Life of Sacrifice and Strength
Her greatest teachings were not confined to a classroom but were found in her quiet sacrifices. In a time and place where resources were scarce, she committed herself to ensuring that her children received an education that would grant them wings to soar beyond what was thought possible. With the unwavering support of my father, Benson, she made immense sacrifices to send my brothers, Anthony and Augustine (of blessed memory), to Christ the King College and later Magburaka Boys Secondary School, while my sisters, Margaret and Cecilia, attended Saint Joseph’s Convent Secondary School. I was sent to Bo Government Secondary School, where I learned discipline, independence, and a hunger for knowledge that would shape my life’s course.
My mother understood that my departure from home was not an abandonment of her love but an extension of it. She knew that her sacrifices, the long nights of prayers, and the endurance of hardship were all part of something greater—a legacy that would ripple beyond her time, shaping lives she would never meet, in places she would never see.
I carried her lessons with me. Growing up in war-torn Sierra Leone, many believed that I could have succumbed to despair. I could have been paralyzed by the weight of my country’s tragedy. But my mother had taught me another way. She showed me that life is not about what is taken from us but about what we give. She taught me that we do not inherit a world to lament—we inherit a world to change.
And so, in the fall of 1999, amid the turbulence of war, I forged a path in pioneering innovative global education. Through my mother’s enduring example and encouragement, I chose to be an agent of positive change—of peace, of justice, of transformation. For over two decades, I have carried her teachings into my work, dedicating my life to empowering children and youth, teaching peace through technology, and building bridges where others saw only walls. She taught me that my work must be about the power of one life touching another, the ripple effect of faith, courage, and education.
A Visionary with Foresight and Faith
If ever there was a woman who understood the delicate balance between guidance and freedom, discipline and imagination, it was my mother. She was the first to see me—not just as I was, but as I could be. Where others might have imposed limitations, she granted me possibilities. She encouraged me to explore, to dream, and to carve my own path.
She possessed a rare and extraordinary gift of foresight—the ability to see beyond the present into what could be. Long before my efforts bore fruit, before my work gained recognition, before my vision for education took shape, she saw it. She recognized my creativity as something sacred, something given by God, and she nurtured it with the same care a gardener gives to a delicate and rare bloom.
When others questioned my path, she affirmed it. When others doubted, she encouraged. When others failed to understand the value in my pursuits, she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my calling was real.
A Gift Beyond Measure
And so, she gave me the greatest gift—the gift of freedom. Freedom to explore, to experiment, to fail, to rise, to forge a new way forward. She never sought to dictate my journey, nor did she insist that I conform to expectation. Instead, she allowed me to step into the unknown, equipped with nothing but faith, passion, and a belief in the power of ideas.
In a time and place where opportunities were scarce, my mother, with quiet resolve and boundless love, gave me hope. She may not have always been recognized by the world, but she did not need to be. She was a force, a light, a foundation. And in all that I do, in every life I touch, her presence endures.
Carrying Her Legacy Forward
Mum, you gave me the world. And because of you, I have spent my life ensuring that others, too, may dream, learn, and grow. Your love remains, not only in memory but in action, in the countless lives you shaped and in the legacy we now carry forward.
You are with us in spirit, for love remains,
In lessons taught, in selfless gains.
A guiding light, though out of view,
Still shining strong in all we do.
Mum we love you, but God loves you best
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