Joseph Alex Musa, a Sierra Leonean, has been admitted into the hallowed company of professional engineers by the U.S.A. Professional Engineering Board. This Board is the highest Professional Engineering body in the States. It recognizes only a select few of highly trained engineers in the country. Joseph is one of the few Sierra Leoneans to be admitted to this august body.
Before relocating to the U.S.A through the diversity lottery visa program in 2000, Joseph Musa (photo) had worked as an engineer in the Water Supply Division of the Ministry of Energy and Power in Sierra Leone from 1989-2000. He also worked as the counterpart Engineer to the UNDP and British Water Aid Projects in Kono, the Eastern Province from 1989 till 1991. During this time he revitalized the Water Supply Systems in Jaiama Nimikor and Koidu Town.
The water supply systems in that part of the country had long stopped to pump water from the pipes . With Josep’s help ,these towns started pumping water again. He was awarded a scholarship by the German government in April 1991 to pursue a Masters degree in Water Resources at the Prestigious University of Allied Sciences in Germany. He undertook the German language course for six months and went on to pursue his studies in Water Resources from October 1991-August 1993 when he was awarded an M.S. degree.
On his return to Sierra Leone he served as Regional Engineer for the Southern Province and was in charge of the Water and Sanitation activities in this region.
In the year 2000, he won a lottery through the U.S.A. Diversity lottery and relocated to the the States.
Joseph Musa’s story is a compelling one, because though he was a Fourah Bay College (FBC), University of Sierra Leone trained civil engineer, he could not get the job he was qualified for when he relocated to the States. Thus he became a WareHouse Assistant like any uneducated African. This however did not dampen his resolve to be who he wanted to be. After working at this Ware House for two years , he felt the need to continue his professional career and pursue a U.S. degree at an accredited University.
He applied for a job in New York as a Water and Sanitation Engineer for Medecins Sans Frontieres-Doctors Without Borders- in 2002. He got the job and did a month’s training in Amsterdam before he was posted to the D.R.C. in December 2002. He worked in countries of the Great Lakes region of Africa, mainly in the DRC,Burundi and Rwanda till 2006. He returned to the U.S.A in 2006 to continue his academic and professional career. He applied and was admitted to Howard University’s Department of Civil Engineering in May 2007. He was later employed as a Teaching and Research Assistant. Engineer Musa was awarded a Masters degree from Howard University in August 2008.
In an interview with Patriotic Vanguard, Joseph said when watching television in 2002 he saw the war in war-torn DRC and that prompted him to to apply with Medecins San Frontieres as water and Sanitation engineer to utilize his expertise in helping the people in that country.
On arrival in the Congo he was assigned to implement a Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Waste Management Project at the largest hospital in Uvira in Southern Kivu Province for eight months. This hospital is located on the top of a hill with communities residing down hill. So when it rains all the hospital waste including needles and syringes were washed down to the population. This hospital lacked no Waste Management facility. The consequences for the population were widespread malaria, AIDS and so on.
To implement this project with the French-speaking Congolese, Joseph had to learn the French Language so as to effectively work with the indigenes. He then studied French and very soon was proficient in the language. Within eight months he accomplished the project.
In a congratulatory message from one of the people he worked with in the Congo when he achieved his Professional Engineer title and license on January 24th 2011 from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects, tone of the Congolese had this to say about Joseph Alex Musa:
"First of all, congratulations on your remarkable achievements few years after you left us in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.
As a National Staff for Doctors Wthout Borders by then, I vividly remember when you came to work with us in the DRC in 2002
as an Expert Water and Sanitation Engineer. We were amazed at how you learnt the French language on your own within three months of the start of the project and in eight months, you implemented a very big Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Waste Management project at the largest hospital in South Kivu. Despite security situations, you completed the project. You even wrote training manuals and provided training for hospital staff and community members in French. I am glad to inform you that the structures you put in place are sustainable and I will send you pictures of them next month on my trip from Kishasha to Uvira."
"You were very simple, easy going and gave us advice about how to develop ourselves and become experts. Today some of our national staff are experts in different countries. Charles for example is now with Oxfam in Chad. So is Fabrice Muco from Burundi who is now in Haiti."
"You also provided water for a hospital in Burundi that had no water supply system for eight years. This you did within two months of starting work out there. No wonder we started calling you DIEU D’EAU meaning ’god of Water."
"Mr. Musa, as your then national staff Logistician, let me take this opportunity to thank you and wish you the best in all your endeavors.We are proud of you. It is true that America needs you but Africa needs you more."
Upon achieving his Professional Engineer title and license , Musa was called upon by Howard University to deliver a presentation to the senior and graduate enginnering students on the topic: How to become a Professional Engineer, on February 2nd 2011. According to Joseph, he cited himself as an example that with hard work, commitment and perseverance, goals set can be accomplished.
Joseph Alex Musa went to Saint Edwards Primary School in Freetown. Then to Saint Edwards Secondary School( Forms 1-5) and then he did sixth form at the Sierra Leone Grammar School before proceeding to FBC(1984-1989).
Currently he works for the National Institute of Health in the Division of Environmental Protection in Maryland, USA. Joseph is happily married to a Gambian lady -Jestina Musa and they are blessed with the beautiful and brilliant 17 year old Sarah Musa. Musa is an avid soccer player and socialite.
Comments