In a bid to uplift the technological and educational standard of students in various institutions of learning in Sierra Leone, members of the executive, development committee and advisory body of the Sierra Leone Nationals Association of Manitoba (SALNAM)Canada on Good Friday demonstrated patriotism and the benevolent spirit by donating over $1,500 towards the ‘2008 SALNAM Computer Project’.
Notwithstanding the escalating cost of gas and the economic crunch hitting North America members relished the cause of giving a helping hand. They dipped into their pockets and made contributions ranging from $50 to $150.According to Sheik Ahmed Koroma God Almighty always bless a cheerful giver “If people can spend more than $50 on merriment why not donate this money to a worthy cause that would transform the lives of our folks back in Sierra Leone” he noted.
“If my wife and I have to empty our bank account to make a donation we’ll do it because we are not only proud to be associated with this project but for the first time in Canada Sierra Leoneans are sending over 65 computers to institutions back home” another cheerful giver Abdul Sherrif Kamara said. “I hope we can be role models to other Sierra Leoneans in the Diaspora and they can emulate the example we are making for our beloved country” he continued.
This donation, according to SALNAM Development Committee chairman Muckson Sesay will be utilize to buy parts and accessories to make the computers more standard and upgradable before they are shipped to Freetown by the end of April 2008. “We are aware of the number of computers globally donated to developing countries that ended up in landfills, most of these systems do not meet minimum requirement to run required applications, we will ensure that the computer equipments we donate to institutions in Sierra Leone meet the hardware requirement to run standard applications across multi-platforms” Muckson assured.
It should be recalled that members of SALNAM at a general meeting held March 16th 2008 at the ACOMI Centre agreed to sell some of the computers to raise money for the upgrading and shipping cost of the computers to Sierra Leone. But the timely cash intervention of the following individuals David Mahdi Koroma, Mohamed ‘Lucky Star’ Sesay, Alhassan Sesay, Sherriff Kamara and Tara Nicholls, Madam Ernestine, John Saccoh, Alieu Sesay, Sheik Mohamed Kamara, Hassan Sesay, Sheik Ahmed Koroma,Alimamy Sesay and Muckson Sesay not only saved the day but cancelled the earlier decision to sell some of the computers for fund raising.
The President of SALNAM David Mahdi Koroma, who recently has started a shipping and freight forwarding business from Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary to Sierra Leone, has offered to ship the computers to Freetown free of charge. “This is a noble venture that every Sierra Leonean should be proud of because now is such an important time in the development history of our country.”
“Sierra Leone is rising from the ruins of 10 years of rebel war during which every sphere of the development sector was affected. There is no better time than now to give back to a country that we so cherish and is daily in our thoughts” David Mahdi Koroma said.
The SALNAM president also appeal to all Sierra Leoneans to come on the development drive for mother Sierra Leone and donate whatever they can to help make our country a better place for our future generations. Donations towards SALNAM’s education project can be made to the financial Secretary and treasurer Alieu Sesay and Alhassan Sesay. They can be reached at zsesay@shaw.ca and sesay14@msn.com.
Apart from the computer project in Sierra Leone SALNAM is also sponsoring five students at The Freetown Technical Institute covering their tuition, text books and subsistence costs.
Photos: SALNAM president David Mahdi Koroma(top) and some SALNAM members in Winnipeg, Canada.
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