Saturday, November 28, 2009

St. Joseph Secondary School Speech

To those who doubted our resilience and to those who had very little faith in a few determined US college students, and also to those who were resolved to undermine the efforts of a few honest people, we prove that this land was once referred to as the Athens of West Africa. We present here today a testament to our resilience and determination to re-brand Sierra Leone a fountain of education in Africa! Let us rejoice as we unveil the newly constructed St. Joseph’s Senior Secondary School!

A few weeks ago we were faced with the dilemma of whether to continue the construction or whether to terminate the project altogether. Some of us were disappointed by the behaviour of a few dishonest people, and others among us were disgruntled by the mentality and attitudes of many of our fellow citizens. There were sufficient reasons to discontinue what we have just completed, but as a Christian and a fervent believer in the power of education, I could not let a dishonest few become an obstacle to the future of our children. Everyday I pray for the Lord to forgive my sins as I forgive those who trespass against me. What kind of a believer would I be if I cannot do for my brothers and sisters what I constantly call on the Lord to do for me? As we render our supplications unto the Lord, so too must we be willing to render unto our brothers and sisters what we require of our God.

There is a beautiful dialogue between Abraham and the Lord in the book of Genesis, chapter 19:1-16, when Abraham becomes aware of God’s intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. After hearing God’s plan, Abraham approached the Lord and said: “Lord, will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked?” “Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city, will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sake?” “Surely you won’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you will be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you won’t do that!” And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.” Abraham said: “but Lord, what if there are only forty-five righteous folks?” And the Lord assured Abraham that he would surely not do such a thing. Abraham went down in fives until he came down to ten righteous folks, and the Lord continued to assure him likewise. I am no reverend, but what I intend to illustrate is that just as none among us will neglect his farm because of a few troublesome weeds, we shall never abandon our children’s education simply because a few people among us would rather selfishly squander what we toil so hard to achieve. We are gathered here today to show the detractors that nothing can stand in the way of even a small group of people determined to work for the common good!

A few weeks ago, President Barack Obama of the United States of America, himself of African descent, spoke to his African brothers and sisters from Accra, Ghana. Apart from the symbolic choice of Ghana as a beacon of Africa’s freedom, the country is also serving as an exemplary of what our aspirations for the government of the people, by the people, and for the people can become. While the sound of democracy may transmit shivers into the hearts of Africa’s despots and totalitarians, it is in fact our only hope for progress and development. The West can render us every possible service we deem necessary, but the only way we can transcend the current shades of extreme poverty, disease, and general underdevelopment is to embrace the good governance that is the stepchild of democracy, and to commit ourselves to a culture of self-reliance, good neighbourliness and community service. It is out of such keen observations that President Obama recently committed the future of Africa into the hands of Africans. In similar spirit then, I call on all young Sierra Leoneans to share the responsibilities of our nation’s future. For in your hands, not with presidents or cabinet ministers, lies the obligation to fulfil the responsibilities of our freedom papers and to face the challenges of our shared destiny.

A few weeks ago I served as a Tom Lantos US Congressional Fellow. I was very fortunate to be a frontline observer of President Obama’s first six months in office. President Obama made several remarkable appearances during my tenure as a Lantos Fellow in Washington DC, but it was his first address to the joint houses of Congress that left an indelible mark on my life. The address was a reaffirmation of his beliefs and devotion to the promise of change in America. But the most important message for me was his admonition to American students never to quit. I wish I had a President, when I was growing up, to remind me of my duties as a young democratic citizen; a president that could buttress my juvenile ambitions with unwavering moral guidance. However, I was lucky to have a father who taught me never to quit, albeit not in those words. My father taught me that education is the only legacy that cannot be taken away from an individual. To quit, therefore, is an abandonment of one’s duty to self, to family and to society at large. Even though a commitment never to quit can be a difficult decision in a country like Sierra Leone, the alternative is worst for the individual, the family, the community and the country at large. Democracy is a worthless ideal if the vast majority of our country remains uneducated and divided against each other on regional and tribal markers.

I have enjoyed working with you over the past few months, but I will not relent to say that I was disappointed in those of you who, even in good faith, queried me about choosing to build this school in Northern Sierra Leone instead of in the South-East, my own region of origin. I will never forget Pendembu, my hometown, but the education of Sierra Leone transcends all regional, religious, ethnic or fraternal lines; it is a matter of shared national obligation and social duty. Just as our common nationality was the sole agenda of our founding fathers, so too should our development be a matter of from each according to his ability and to each according to his needs. Sir Milton Margai’s militancy was not for Mendeland or Krioland neither was Pademba’s generosity limited to an especial group of Sierra Leoneans. From the province of Freedom to the Lion Mountains, Sierra Leoneans have always been their brothers’ keeper.

I have made several contributions to the reconstruction of this country since the end of the civil war, but I am particularly excited about the course of education. There is nothing more important to the development of a nation than education. Like Nelson Mandela, I believe that “education is the greatest engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mine worker can become the head of the mine, that the child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation.” To the future students of St. Joseph’s Secondary School, I admonish you to take your education seriously. The onus is with you now. I grew up in Sierra Leone and Liberia during two of the most brutal civil wars of contemporary history. Children like you were conscripted to fight and kill even before they knew how to spell their names, women and their daughters were raped, many men were compelled by circumstances to commit some of the most heinous atrocities of our history, and children as young as six months old had their hands chopped off by rebels using machetes. At a very young age, I was arrested with my father by Charles Taylor`s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebels and incarcerated on the outskirt of Voinjama, Liberia. It was the first time I came face to face with torture, starvation and death. That experience instantly transformed my young heart into the heart of a man determined to live through each dark day with fervent hope. I never had the luxury of quitting!

To the parents, I will not disregard the difficulties of educating your children in a country like ours, but you must never quit simply because the child could generate more immediate cash by selling mangoes and cold water. While an extra cash of two thousand Leones could save a family for a day, imagine that your child could be the next teacher, Lawyer, doctor or Agricultural researcher that saved a nation. Silver and Gold I do not have, but education is the testimony of my successes. And to those parents who think that support for a child’s education ends with paying the school fees, I say please do more. School fees only secure your child a space in the classroom; keeping him/her there is your parental duty. Let us make this thought a part of our decisions to bear children, for education is no less a fundamental human right.

Finally, let me extend my thanks and appreciation to my mother Tewa Kaifala—a woman who gave her all to guarantee my education. Even as a single parent living in a refugee camp with four children, she made sure we all got as much education as she could afford. I thank the Assistant Directors of the Jeneba Project: Liat Krawczyk and Peter S. Brock; without their indefatigable work this school would not have been possible. I also thank my friends Anthony Mancilla, David Gettens and Andrew Mancilla who have been very vital to the realization of this dream. My gratitude goes to my family for their enormous sacrifices and patience. I thank my uncle Mr. Sahr J. Tolno, my brother Francis, my sisters Hawa, Amie and Watta.

Let me also take this opportunity to thank members of the Jeneba Project, especially Professors Michael and Catherine Golden-Marx—the two have not only been fervent supporters of the Jeneba Project since its inception , they have also treated me like a son ever since we met. My appreciation also goes to Jesse and Emmet Golden-Marx—two young Americans who heard the story of Sierra Leone and devoted extraordinary time and energy to making sure education becomes a fundamental human right for children here. My appreciation also goes to Professor Kate Graney of Skidmore College, who has also offered extraordinary moral and financial backing to me personally and to the Jeneba Project.

To all those who have rendered extraordinary services to make this project a success, I say thank you. My heartfelt gratitude goes to the Small Scripture Group of the Church of St. Peter in Saratoga Springs, the Congregation as a whole, Humanity in Action, Seventh Generation Inc, Sierra Leone Now, the United World Colleges, Susan E. Wagner High School, Irvington High School, Sierra Leone Now, Skidmore College and the Staff and students of St. Joseph Secondary School, Masoila. Let me also extend my appreciation to all the contractors, especially Joseph Penikin. A special thank you to Fr. Edwin, Mr. Sesay, Ms. Kotio, Mr. Atto, Mr. Bendu and the Krawczyk family. To all those whose names have not been mentioned, I say thank you to you, too.

To the young generation of Sierra Leoneans, Let me leave you with the words of Sir Milton Margai on the occasion of our independence. Work hard, for you are the future leaders of your country. We endeavour to lay traditions of which you must be proud. It will be for you to unhold them and to build upon them in the future.

I Thank you!