PV: Who is Mariatu Cole? Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Mariatu Cole: I was born and raised in Freetown in a small village called Aberdeen. I am the second child in a loving family of three. While growing up in Sierra Leone, I used to gather all the children in the neighborhood, bring them to my house and i would host a school in my backyard. I would teach them everything I had just learned that day in school and share the food and candy I had collected. It was such a daily occurence in my childhood activity that everyone, young or old, notoriously knew about me. In fact, I still get teased about it to this day. Though a child then, I was already exhibiting signs of leadership, ambition, one who takes initiative and has a concern for others.
I am now 23 years old and I am proud to say that these same qualities still largely characterize who I am as a person. Over the years, I have demonstrated qualities of leadership by consistently holding and maintaining officer level positions in several student organizations. I currently hold two bachelor degrees; a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with a Minor in Genetics from North Carolina State University. My career ambition is to provide quality healthcare to those living in underserved areas. As a Miss Africa USA delegate, I am getting an early start on my life’s goal by organizing a campaign to offer free health screenings in Freetown. Through my volunteering activities, such as building homes for families with Habitat for Humanity or simply sitting at a patient’s bedside and lending a listening ear, I have consistently exemplified my concern for others.
PV:Please tell us about Miss Africa-USA. What is it all about?
MC: The Miss Africa USA Pageant is one the biggest and most popular African pageant in the United States. It was founded in 2005 by Lady Kate Njeuma, who is also the CEO of the organization. The Miss Africa USA organization aims to serve as a platform for young African women to share their culture, intelligence, beauty, talent and most importantly, to become the best humanitarians both in the U.S. and abroad. The Miss Africa USA title empowers one deserving young African woman to serve as an official goodwill ambassador for Africa for one year.
The pageant has continued to grow since its inception and for the first time, the finale will be held in Washington, DC on July 17, 2010. Every year, some of the most beautiful and brightest African women from all across America compete with hopes of claiming the coveted Miss Africa USA title.
I have been given the opportunity to represent Sierra Leone in this year’s pageant and I intend to be the first to bring the crown home. As Miss Africa USA 2010, my goal will be to promote my platform which is Raising the Bar: Improving Africa’s Public Health Standards through Service & Education. To learn more about the pageant, the other contestants and yours truly, please visit the pageant’s official website at www.missafricaunitedstates.com
PV: You told us earlier that you would like to be a medical doctor one day. Why do you want to be a doctor?
MC: In five years I see myself graduating with a medical degree and a master’s in public health (MD/MPH). My interest in medicine started in high school with my fascination with the biological sciences. Even to this day, nothing mesmerizes me more than the anatomy and physiology of the human body.
Over the years, I’ve immersed myself in different aspects of the healthcare field. I’ve volunteered at a couple of hospitals, shadowed doctors in the specialities of neurosurgery, emergency medicine and obstetrics & gynecology, worked as a health unit coordinator, earned a license as a nurse aide and excelled as a Medical Educational Development Program scholar. These experiences have collectively made me eager for more knowledge and a more active involvement in the field of medicine.
PV:You also told us you have a project to do free health screening in Sierra Leone. How do you plan to go about that?
MC: My platform in the Miss Africa USA Pageant is Raising the Bar: Improving Africa’s Public Health Standards through Service & Education. As a way to jumpstart my platform, I am organizing a campaign to host free health screenings in Freetown. The goal is to offer free medical, dental and vision exams. The services will be available to all but I would like to target pregnant women, children and the poor. With the support of the African Women’s Development Foundation Inc., I am in the preliminary stages of finalizing my proposal, seeking donations and recruiting volunteering doctors, nurses and non-medical personnel from the U.S. and in Sierra Leone.
I would like to start offering the screenings in June of 2010 and as the year progresses, it will be offered every Saturday. It will initially be held in Aberdeen but as more funds and supplies become available, it will be expanded to other towns.
I would like to use this opportunity to raise awareness about the project and to recruit volunteers and sponsors. I am urging anyone who is in the medical or nursing field to volunteer their time and expertise. If you’re unable to volunteer, but would still like to support this cause, we are accepting donations and medical supplies. For more information on how to volunteer or donate, please email raising.the.bar@live.com.
PV: You seem to be deeply interested in public service and the healthcare system and its problems back home. Any special reasons for that?
MC: I come from a family that has a long history of being public servants. My late grandfather used to encourage the children in the neighborhood by organizing football (soccer) teams. He bought uniforms and equipments for the children and even named the team the Mighty Sparrows. My grandmother is well-known in the Muslim community in Aberdeen and in many parts of Freetown as an activist and community organizer. For as long as I can remember, my father has funded the education of students during their primary and secondary school years and also at their college and professional career levels. My mother has held luncheons for the children in Aberdeen, provided gift bags for mothers and their newborns at Princess Christian Maternity Hospital and offered educational scholarships for some children earlier this year.
With service being such a deep rooted family value, coupled with my interest in medicine; it is only natural that I have such an interest in the healthcare system back home. Sierra Leone is and will always be my home. I see a system that is severely broken in my home and I feel a strong sense of responsibility to fix it.
PV: Any other thing you would like to add?
MC: In March, the voting portion of the Miss Africa USA Pageant finals will begin. The votes are worth 10% of each contestant’s overall score. I am asking all the readers to vote and to encourage their families, friends, co-workers and everyone to vote for me at www.missafricaunitedstates.com. Also, don’t forget to buy your tickets for the Miss Africa USA 2010 Pageant in Washington, DC on July 17 and come support your Salone sister.
I would like to send a special shout out to my family, friends and Mr. V. Thank you for all the love and support you have shown me, I couldn’t have made it this far without you.
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