2014 OKSA Reunion Night Speech at the Comfort Inn Landmark, Alexandria, Virginia, Friday, August 22, 2014.
Good evening fellow alums, friends of Kolenten, ladies and gentlemen.
I feel very much honored to stand in front of you in my capacity as chairman of OKSA, USA.
OKSA-USA was founded March 1992 when the first meeting of old boys and girls was convened at Flagstaff Road, Landover, Maryland, at the residence of Dr. Alusine S. Jah.
After that meeting, another one was convened in 1993 during which time an executive was elected. Unfortunately, there was a brief hiatus in the activities of the association because of lack of alumni and alumnae’s understanding of the aims and objectives of the association that are enshrined in the constitution. After tremendous effort was expended in bringing old students throughout the USA into the fold, another meeting was held in 1995, and a new executive was elected.
During that meeting, lofty ideals and goals about the association were announced and this helped to galvanize a lot of alumni. The word spread like wild fire and the enthusiasm that was stoked that day has not diminished. It has gotten better and better every year ever since.
From 1995 to the present, the association has invested over $145,000.00 (one hundred and forty five thousand US dollars) in various projects in the school
This is the breakdown of that expenditure:
1. Funds for relocation of the school to Freetown during the rebel war: $2,000.00
2. Rehabilitation of the school after its senseless destruction by the rebels: $9,000.00
3. Renovation of the chemistry lab: $1,000.00
4. Purchase of computers and other ancillary accessories: $8,500.00
5. Olivine Scholarship fund: $3,000.00
6. Soccer kits and other miscellaneous expenditures: $2,000.00
7. Expenditures so far on the building project: $115,000.00
These funds were generated mostly from our fundraising activities, generous donations from alumni and friends of Kolenten. I am proud to inform you that since 1998 when we made our maiden dance at 25th Place, N.E Washington D.C, all succeeding fundraising dances have been successful. The OKSA brand has become the envy of other alumni organizations in the USA.
However, we have come to realize that we cannot accomplish some of the lofty goals we embraced when this association was founded if we rely solely on funds generated from annual fundraising dances because of the donor fatigue that has gripped the tri-states of Maryland, Virginia and The District of Columbia. There is now a mushrooming of alumni organizations, descendants associations, and other social groups in the USA that has diminished the appetite of giving because, in most cases, the same people have been taxed repeatedly.
The biggest challenge facing the association at the moment is how to come up with innovative ideas that will diversify our fundraising effort. We made some attempts in the past by setting up an exploratory committee (task force) that was to chart the way forward in this endeavor. But in the absence of proper coordination, or may I say, lack of commitment, the task force that was formed was unproductive. It is my fervent hope that we will use this year’s reunion to come up with a strategic plan that will enable us to tap the huge potential of goodwill that exists in this great country. We have very great minds and infinite potential within our association, and there is nothing we cannot accomplish if we put our shoulders to the wheel.
I am sure most of you have seen the noticeable pictorial display of the multipurpose building we are erecting at Kolenten. When it is completed, it will be second to none on any school campus in Sierra Leone. This building is the result of hard work, dedication, and unwavering affinity to our alma mater.
However, I think we can do better.
This brings to mind the concept of public or community spiritedness, which in my opinion, is lacking in our community. However, since this is the theme of this year’s reunion, I will leave it to our Grand Chief Patron, Honorable, Ambassador Ibrahim Sorie to focus on the significance of this concept. I will just make a quick passing comment. But before I do that, I want to take this opportunity to thank with profusion fellow alumni with every fiber of my being for the magnanimity they have shown towards their alma mater since the inception of OKSA.
People who truly master the art of giving give out of the goodness of their hearts with no self-serving motives. Within this context, giving becomes a blessing for the giver and the receiver. It’s human nature to believe, “When I have more, I’ll give more.” If you believe in this skewed dictum, you will never be generous because you will never have enough of anything to give. Generosity is a choice that feels right and joyful. Generosity comes from believing that you have to share.
I am therefore humbly requesting all of you here tonight to take a deep introspection into the concept of giving. This might help us to muster the courage to step up to the plate and do something profound for our alma mater. We would do a fundraising drive after the speeches and it is my fervent hope that tonight will be a trendsetter in our fundraising endeavors. I would like to invoke the spirit of the incomparable Fr. Camilo Olivani, which I am sure is present with us here tonight. This is what he said “….as the river Kolenten provides the citizens of Kambia with food and water, Kolenten will fulfill their thirst for knowledge…” The noble dream in this poignant statement can only be realized if each and every one of us is ready to do his or her own little part by making financial contributions that will help sustain our school.
At this juncture, I would like to remind you that most of the famous universities in the USA are maintained through the endowments that are bequeathed to them by alumni. One cannot but admire their spiritedness towards the institutions that made them what they are today.
Let me just reiterate what I said last year for the benefit of those who were not present in that reunion. Not long ago, I saw in one of our online media outlets a bold headline that says: N’jala university needs toilets. I was shocked and deeply saddened after reading the article. I asked myself this question: Where are all the alumni of this avant-garde institution? The problem of N’jala is symptomatic of all the tertiary instuitions of our country. This is sad and a mighty shame to all of us, myself included. We expect the government to do everything while influential people in top positions within the country care less about those intuitions that made them what they are today. When you drive around in the USA you see vehicles with bumper stickers saying: ALUMNI UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAD, ALUMNI DUKE UNIVERSITY, to name but a few. But I have never seen any bumper sticker in Sierra Leone that reads : ALUMNI FBC, ALUMNI N’JALA or ALUMNI MILTON MARGAI. The sad reality is that we are not proud of the institutions that played a pivotal role in the successes that we are enjoying today. Most of us are guilty of this lack of community spiritedness. For us to progress as a nation, we have to change our mind set and try to nurture the culture of giving for the common good without expecting anything in return.
Since the new OKSA executive was formed in 1995, I have been its chairman. It is almost 19 years. The executive has remained largely the same, with the exception of a few changes. This might give the implicit public perception that we are hanging on to power, especially those who do not know the dynamics of the association. I do not want to be another Mugabe. It is high time we considered passing the baton to the younger generation. For us to have a smooth transition, we should use this reunion to start identifying potential leaders that will carry OKSA to another level. You will never know what somebody is capable of doing until you put him in a position of trust that is challenging. I am pretty sure OKSA has a reservoir of young and energetic alums that are capable of doing what the current executive has done or even better. Please let us give this proposition a very serious thought during our deliberations tonight.
One of the fundamental principles enshrined in our constitution is fostering camaraderie and brotherhood. In any association there are bound to be disagreements but we should not allow those disagreements to degenerate to pernicious personal animosities that threaten the survival of the association. We should always remember that Kolenten comes first and personal scores, if any, should be settled amicably with the support of the council of elders. We should be thankful that we have not got any incident that has threatened the fabric of our association since its inception and we should make sure it stays that way. The abiding friendship that has existed among us should continue if we want OKSA to be the envy of other alumni organizations. Always remember that we are a family and Kolenten is bigger than any one of us.
Thank you very much for your undivided attention.
May our light forever continue to shine.
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