Gillian fell in love with Africa after taking a sabbatical trip to Ethiopia in 2014, where she ran an agricultural NGO. After returning home to Toronto the following year, she realised she wanted to go back. “I am really passionate about environmental issues and was drawn to Africa,” she says. “I work for a sustainability advice company and decided to transfer to their Kenya office.”
It wasn’t until 2019 that she met Frances, who had moved from the Philippines to work for the same firm. “I wanted an adventure and I was interested in developing markets,” says Frances. “When I arrived, I found out that Gillian was going to be my boss on a conservation project in east Africa.” They met properly for the first time at a coffee shop, to catch up on the project and get to know each other. “My first impression was that she was very serious and a bit boring,” admits Frances. Gillian thought Frances seemed smart but she didn’t expect her to be around for long. “Most people come for about a year. I figured I’d work with her for a while and then never see her again.”
