“We’ve had enough of violence against
women and girls.
6 days ago — New UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador Isha Sesay
joins the fight to end violence against women, female
genital mutilation and child marriages.
probably know well. For more than a decade, Sesay worked as an
anchor on the network where she covered countless stories and
events. Throughout her career with CNN she worked on several
programs and became well-known and well-respected. In the summer of
2018, Sesay parted ways with the company and began to focus on
other endeavors. Since then, she has been working on some pretty
cool things and it looks like this next chapter is going to be
eventful. Even if you’ve seen her on TV hundreds of times, there
still a lot you can learn about the talented former anchor. Here
are 10 things you didn’t know about Isha Sesay.
1. Her Family Is From Sierra Leone
Both of Isha Sesay’s parents are from the African country of
Sierra Leone. Located in West Africa, Sierra Leone is best-known
for its diamond mines. Although Isha was not born in Sierra Leone,
she moved there at a young age and spent most of her childhood in
the country.
2. She’s Written A Book
Isha Sesay can officially add author to her long list of
accomplishments. In September 2019, she released her highly
anticipated book Beneath the Tamarind Tree. The
nonfiction work tells the story of the 2014 kidnapping of 276
female students who were taken from a school in Nigeria. Sesay’s
work received praise from readers all over the world and she hopes
the book will raise awareness of this tragic event. As of 2020,
there are still over 100 students missing from this incident.
3. She’s Divorced
Isha Sesay and her longtime boyfriend, Leif Coorlim, tied the
knot in 2013. The couple had a gorgeous ceremony which Sesay
referred to as “magical“. When describing the wedding, Sessay said
“our day exceeded my wildest dreams. It was magical. When I saw
Leif standing at the end of the aisle, I felt as if my heart would
explode. I married the man of my dreams in front of the people we
care about the most.” Unfortunately, the magic didn’t last and the
couple divorced just a few years later.
4. She Was Raised In The Islamic Faith
Like more than half of the people in Sierra Leone, Isha Sesay
was raised as a Muslim. However, it’s unclear if she still
practices the Islamic faith today. Ironically, there was a petition
floating around in 2015 to have Sesay removed from her role at CNN
because many viewers believed she and another anchor
inappropriately blamed French Muslims for not preventing terrorist
attacks in Paris.
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5. She Runs A Non-Profit
When Isha left CNN, she decided to use her time to focus on her
personal passions. She started a nonprofit organization called We
Can Lead which is focused on helping girls in Sierra Leone and
other parts of Africa. The organization has several initiatives to
help empower and educate young women to prepare them for the
future.
6. She Was Born in London
Isha Sesay may have spent most of her childhood in Sierra Leone,
but she was actually born in London. When she was 16, she returned
to the UK to further her education. She went on to attend Trinity
College where she studied English. While in school, she worked as a
waitress to make ends meet.
7. She Left CNN For An Interesting Reason
When Isha Sesay announced that she would be leaving CNN, many
people were surprised by her reason. To put it simply, Sesay
decided to walk away from her job with the popular network because
she was tired of all the majority of news coverage being centered
around President Trump. She also added that she wanted to focus on
bigger picture issues and have more control over the things she
reported on.
8. She Doesn’t Have Any Children
Despite her long relationship with Leif Coorlim and their brief
marriage, Isha Sesay does not have any children. Isha hasn’t stated
whether or not she wants to have kids in the future. But there’s no
doubt that her busy career has probably made it difficult to put
things on pause and focus on raising a family.
9. Her Mother Is Well-Known In Politics
Isha isn’t the only person in her family who is passionate about
the world around her. Kadi Sesay, Isha’s mother, is a politician in
Sierra Leone who was the head of the National Commission for
Democracy and Human Rights. She is also the first woman in the
country to lead a national commission.
10. She Cares About The Next Generation
Since leaving CNN, Isha Sesay has been heavily focused on
working with young women and giving them the tools they need to
succeed. She cares deeply about making sure the next generation is
able to create a bright future for themselves and those around
them