The Master Tailor in the Dining Room - Alimamy Sesay (part 1)

For the past three years, Alimamy Sesay has been a constant presence in the ship’s dining room. Most people on board know him for his friendly, warm, consistent greetings. He is the person who shows up every day with a smile, helping brand-new crew members navigate the drink station or figure out the rhythm of the buffet line.

It is easy to see the cheerfulness and miss the weight behind it. A little over a year ago, Alimamy lost his wife. It was sudden—the kind of heartbreak that happens too often here, where people get sick and die before they can get the care they need. He was left with two young boys. Because of the demands of work and life, one lives with relatives here in Freetown, and the other lives with his mother-in-law back in their home village.

Despite this, he remains of a cheerful attitude. Part of that is his character, and part of it is a bit of the Sierra Leonean culture: there is an unspoken expectation to be happy because you need to make others happy. But Alimamy is also a practitioner with significant depth. He has his college degree, is a great clothing tailor, and loves to engage with everyone.

Our Christmas outfits, tailored by Alimamy (yes, he wanted to wear the Santa hat!)

Alimamy made our family’s Christmas outfits this past year—blue and black jackets customized in a traditional West African style. I like them a lot. But the skill is only part of the connection. I’ve watched him engage with our kids in the meal line, noticing when they seem sad and stopping to ask how they are doing. 

Recently, I had the honor to visit his shop in Waterloo about 45 minutes away. I was surprised to find that the youth working there already knew me by name because of the many fabrics I had sent over for our family. I had no idea. It is a humbling reminder of the second and third-order effects our small interactions have on a community. Because it is not simply that he has other people who work in his shop, but he is constantly training up youths to teach them about textiles. How to sew, stitch, and design clothes. In effect, a source of income to provide for their families. He has trained 50 youths with the World Bank and also in his shop. Unintentionally, we are making a difference for this cohort of half a dozen youths for well over a year and did not know. What a blessing to discover that. There is good in this world. There are people who give and want to better their country. Alimamy is one of those.