what you see are the numbers. last in the HDI. High maternal and infant mortality rate. filthiest city, worst atrocities committed in a conflict.
what i see is the humanity. The way they love and cherish knowledge, the way they can't stop smiling. The way a 6 yr old would faultlessly recite the national pledge or anthem even though not in their first language. There love for dancing, fun and children
My country does not need me, She does not need the United Nations, the African Union or any Western Nation to lift it out of its current quagmire and escort it into the benefits of the 21st century.
what it needs is a fervent belief that action must be taken and must be taken now if our beloved is to survive the ails that it continues to suffer from.
What it needs is a caring partner. Not a dominant partner who charts the way for her and expects her to follow those steps to the letter, but one that is there purely as a guide.
One She can lean on when the going gets tough. one to tell her that she can do it when the belief starts to wane and one whose shoulder she can cry on when those eventual bumps and hardships in the path to progress are arrived at.
One who when the task of uprooting us from the 19th century and catapulting us into the 21st century is completed will not be there to collect dues for its help, in the form of concessions, loan payments and interests payments but will be proud to say I knew you would do it...Congratulations. You did it on your own.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
I Knew you back when....
I knew you back when "butterscotch" en popcorn was what we spent our lunch money on.
I knew you back when "tombi en smokefish" were the energizer for the walk to school.
I knew you back when game boy and hand tennis was how we occupied ourselves during lunch.
I knew you back when "granat cake en benni cake" was our favourite snack on the walk home from school.
I knew you back when "brade en pamine" was our PBandJ" sandwich.
I knew you back when we could not survive "satiday" without "obiata, shapka en tola".
I knew you back when "kushu tatoo en Pegapack" was our way of expressing our teenage rebellion.
I knew you back when "kecking" was so we could go to the swimming pool.
I knew you back when "intersec en boxing day sports" were our favourite sporting outings.
I knew you back when Caesar cried "et tu Brute" and all Beckyln cried with him. I knew you back when "ogaman" started selling music lyrics on paper.
I knew you back when "ogaman" made valentines easy by selling le1000 cards albeit with often misspelled words.
I knew you back when excitement about confirmation was because of the after party.
I knew you back when excitement about confirmation was because we had to go to the big church.
I knew you back when the excitement about prizegiving was who we could have a fight with so we could save our money from buying more invitations.
I knew you back when the excitement about Thanksgiving was how many times i could get away with not having any coat to give my girlfriend after the match when she saw me with a coat on during the march.
I knew you back when all i had was me and all you had you still do have.
now what have you got to say about that? I guess you could say you knew me back then too, cause that's the only way my memory would be complete.
I knew you back when "tombi en smokefish" were the energizer for the walk to school.
I knew you back when game boy and hand tennis was how we occupied ourselves during lunch.
I knew you back when "granat cake en benni cake" was our favourite snack on the walk home from school.
I knew you back when "brade en pamine" was our PBandJ" sandwich.
I knew you back when we could not survive "satiday" without "obiata, shapka en tola".
I knew you back when "kushu tatoo en Pegapack" was our way of expressing our teenage rebellion.
I knew you back when "kecking" was so we could go to the swimming pool.
I knew you back when "intersec en boxing day sports" were our favourite sporting outings.
I knew you back when Caesar cried "et tu Brute" and all Beckyln cried with him. I knew you back when "ogaman" started selling music lyrics on paper.
I knew you back when "ogaman" made valentines easy by selling le1000 cards albeit with often misspelled words.
I knew you back when excitement about confirmation was because of the after party.
I knew you back when excitement about confirmation was because we had to go to the big church.
I knew you back when the excitement about prizegiving was who we could have a fight with so we could save our money from buying more invitations.
I knew you back when the excitement about Thanksgiving was how many times i could get away with not having any coat to give my girlfriend after the match when she saw me with a coat on during the march.
I knew you back when all i had was me and all you had you still do have.
now what have you got to say about that? I guess you could say you knew me back then too, cause that's the only way my memory would be complete.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
AFRICAN LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (A great innitiative)
As Africans, one of the things we master real quick is the usual rhetoric about advocating change in Africa so the children can have a brighter future than we have witnessed. In this stride we have mastered all the usual lines...the older generation have destroyed our present through corruption and malfeasance...the Western World have thrived on our exploitation, first from our people, then from our natural resources and even now for our brain... The western world is scared of competition so they are in opposition to a United Africa...A united Africa has more obstacles in its way every day new resources are discovered in Africa. These and many others have been used even when we go hat in hand begging the western world for donations, and loans we continually are unable to pay back after which we go back and beg that we be excused from repaying the loans. The same rhectorics we spout when we are trying to con the Western students from their lunch money in the guise of improving life conditions for African children.
When therefore we find an avenue in which we can prevent the current malaise from spreading to the future generation and channel our energies for change we should grasp said opportunities with as much passion as we show when we are seeking remedial solutions for Africas situation.
The African Leadership Academy is one such opportunity. Founded in 2008,
African Leadership Academy (ALA) seeks to transform Africa by developing and supporting future generations of African leaders. It brings together the most promising 15-18 year old leaders from all 54 African nations and beyond for an innovative two-year program designed to prepare each student for a lifetime of leadership on the continent. Students are selected to attend the Academy based on merit alone and complete an innovative curriculum with a unique focus on leadership, entrepreneurship, and African studies. ALA graduates will attend the world’s finest universities and will lead Africa toward a peaceful and prosperous future.
Like many other great endeavors it has its inception in the United States, It has as its partner, the African Leadership FOundation, a US 501(c)(3) non profit organization that seeks to develop young leaders and entrepreneurs for the African continent. The Primary difference between this and the other innitiatives that you may be involved in is that the other innitiatives , in
the words of ALFs President, "too often we invest in addressing the symptoms of bad leadership in Africa: we give blankets, food and medicine to those impacted by war poverty and famine. BUt these efforts will never stop unless we develop leaders who prevent wars from occuring in the first place, enterprenaurs who create jobs and scientists who sustainably increase food
production and distribution."
As a non-profit organization, ALA needs help and support to function. In particular our help and support. You can make a tax deductible donation at the African Leadership Foundation's website(http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/donate.asp). A donation no matter how little that will support the development of young African Leaders. I gave, will you join me?
http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/index.asp
http://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/
When therefore we find an avenue in which we can prevent the current malaise from spreading to the future generation and channel our energies for change we should grasp said opportunities with as much passion as we show when we are seeking remedial solutions for Africas situation.
The African Leadership Academy is one such opportunity. Founded in 2008,
African Leadership Academy (ALA) seeks to transform Africa by developing and supporting future generations of African leaders. It brings together the most promising 15-18 year old leaders from all 54 African nations and beyond for an innovative two-year program designed to prepare each student for a lifetime of leadership on the continent. Students are selected to attend the Academy based on merit alone and complete an innovative curriculum with a unique focus on leadership, entrepreneurship, and African studies. ALA graduates will attend the world’s finest universities and will lead Africa toward a peaceful and prosperous future.
Like many other great endeavors it has its inception in the United States, It has as its partner, the African Leadership FOundation, a US 501(c)(3) non profit organization that seeks to develop young leaders and entrepreneurs for the African continent. The Primary difference between this and the other innitiatives that you may be involved in is that the other innitiatives , in
the words of ALFs President, "too often we invest in addressing the symptoms of bad leadership in Africa: we give blankets, food and medicine to those impacted by war poverty and famine. BUt these efforts will never stop unless we develop leaders who prevent wars from occuring in the first place, enterprenaurs who create jobs and scientists who sustainably increase food
production and distribution."
As a non-profit organization, ALA needs help and support to function. In particular our help and support. You can make a tax deductible donation at the African Leadership Foundation's website(http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/donate.asp). A donation no matter how little that will support the development of young African Leaders. I gave, will you join me?
http://www.africanleadershipfoundation.org/index.asp
http://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/
FOISL (A REVIEW)
Arguably one thing that Sierra Leoneans are never short of is an opinion. We can always find a way to argue about football and politics. Therefore it was no surprise to me when i received an invite to join a yahoo forum almost a couple of years ago. The moderator, Emmanuel Saffa Abdullah of Fourah Bay College and Auradicals fame, presently the Executive Director of Society for Democratic Initiatives Sierra Leone is the moderator and my acquaintance with him provided me with an impetus to be a member of such an exciting endeavor.
I was not disappointed as on membership alone the forum (Forum of Information Sierra Leone FOISL)boasts a significant cross section of the Sierra Leonean community. Those who have had a starring role in the political history of our country, those who hold the well being of our nation in their political hands and the pretenders to the offices of the President, seats of parliament and offices of cabinet ministers in the foreseeable future. University administrators and professors, Media consultants and moguls, Legal Practitioners, Democracy, youth and child advocates and activists, students and professors.
Discussions ranging from the history, contents and proposed resolutions of the Black and wide divide at FBC campus to the history, ideals, perceived failures and successes of the SLPP and the APC, from Panafricanism to Socialism in Sierra Leone, with constant updates of the Special court trials as well as an explanation and constant updates of the proposed Freedom of information Law and discussions on Seditious Libel Laws. It not only broke the news complete with reactions when there were skirmishes between the ruling APC and SLPP but also did the same at the initial conclusion of the Bumbuna Hydro Electric project. Tribalism and Nepotism were lamented and strides were made to identify why these are issues we have to contend with.
The forum hasn't been without its light moments, jokes once in a while interrupt bitter discourses and humorous responses to posts always make one laugh and allow you to sit back and reflect on the basic premises of the argument. Poetry also rears its head once in a while.
Like all other forums also there have been personal squabbles. one or two members were even mad enough to leave the forum but i guess the pull of the forum is too strong as they always end up back in the forum in one capacity or the other. The ravings about western impudence and imperialism, criticisms and appraisals of other African leaders and alternate proposals for the use of tour African resources, slavery, Blood diamond and fatalism are as the other posts which extol the virtues of statesmen like President Barack Obama, Kofi Annan and President Nelson Mandela.
The underlining positive about this forum is that it serves as one way to remind all the sons and daughters of Sierra Leone about their mother Sierra Leone.Personally i cannot help but think about the country whenever i wake up check my email and discover the numerous people who although we may not share the same views all still hold Sierra Leone Dear.
Sierra Leone is presently at a dangerous precipice. We can either chose to back up from the brink of maladministration, and all the vile that it has served us these past few decades or continue to implement the same policies that brought us to the face of this overhang. Part of the changes we can make would be the full utilization of Sierra Leone's Human resources. Admittedly Sierra Leone's Human resources are scattered all around the world (one of the benefits of globalization), therefore this forum works well in accumulating all of it in one place. Hopefully freedom of information continues to remind us of what makes us all Sierra Leoneans, an acceptance of the alternate view even as we hold our principles dear. Principles like Patriotism, Nationalism and Brotherly love.
I was not disappointed as on membership alone the forum (Forum of Information Sierra Leone FOISL)boasts a significant cross section of the Sierra Leonean community. Those who have had a starring role in the political history of our country, those who hold the well being of our nation in their political hands and the pretenders to the offices of the President, seats of parliament and offices of cabinet ministers in the foreseeable future. University administrators and professors, Media consultants and moguls, Legal Practitioners, Democracy, youth and child advocates and activists, students and professors.
Discussions ranging from the history, contents and proposed resolutions of the Black and wide divide at FBC campus to the history, ideals, perceived failures and successes of the SLPP and the APC, from Panafricanism to Socialism in Sierra Leone, with constant updates of the Special court trials as well as an explanation and constant updates of the proposed Freedom of information Law and discussions on Seditious Libel Laws. It not only broke the news complete with reactions when there were skirmishes between the ruling APC and SLPP but also did the same at the initial conclusion of the Bumbuna Hydro Electric project. Tribalism and Nepotism were lamented and strides were made to identify why these are issues we have to contend with.
The forum hasn't been without its light moments, jokes once in a while interrupt bitter discourses and humorous responses to posts always make one laugh and allow you to sit back and reflect on the basic premises of the argument. Poetry also rears its head once in a while.
Like all other forums also there have been personal squabbles. one or two members were even mad enough to leave the forum but i guess the pull of the forum is too strong as they always end up back in the forum in one capacity or the other. The ravings about western impudence and imperialism, criticisms and appraisals of other African leaders and alternate proposals for the use of tour African resources, slavery, Blood diamond and fatalism are as the other posts which extol the virtues of statesmen like President Barack Obama, Kofi Annan and President Nelson Mandela.
The underlining positive about this forum is that it serves as one way to remind all the sons and daughters of Sierra Leone about their mother Sierra Leone.Personally i cannot help but think about the country whenever i wake up check my email and discover the numerous people who although we may not share the same views all still hold Sierra Leone Dear.
Sierra Leone is presently at a dangerous precipice. We can either chose to back up from the brink of maladministration, and all the vile that it has served us these past few decades or continue to implement the same policies that brought us to the face of this overhang. Part of the changes we can make would be the full utilization of Sierra Leone's Human resources. Admittedly Sierra Leone's Human resources are scattered all around the world (one of the benefits of globalization), therefore this forum works well in accumulating all of it in one place. Hopefully freedom of information continues to remind us of what makes us all Sierra Leoneans, an acceptance of the alternate view even as we hold our principles dear. Principles like Patriotism, Nationalism and Brotherly love.
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