NIAMEY, Niger — In 1994, Sean Callahan drove from Ghana to Burkina Faso with a faux Christmas tree in the trunk of his car.
At every checkpoint, guards would puzzle over the box, a gift he had brought from the U.S. at the request of a colleague. And each time, the Catholic Relief Services president — then a public donor liaison for the faith-based nonprofit — would open the box and construct the tree to satisfy their curiosity before packing it back up to continue his journey.
He laughs quietly as he shares the tale, remembering the glee of his colleague at receiving the unlikely present when he arrived in Burkina Faso.
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About the author
Kelli Rogers@kellierin
Kelli Rogers has worked as an Associate Editor and Southeast Asia Correspondent for Devex, with a particular focus on gender. Prior to that, she reported on social and environmental issues from Nairobi, Kenya. Kelli holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and has reported from more than 20 countries.
