By Abu Bakarr Kargbo
The Krio Descendant Union (KDU) of Texas in the United States of America has presented cash support to the tune of USD4, 000 (the equivalent of forty million Leones) to lucky and brilliant students and pupils at a colorful ceremony held late last month in Freetown. Three medical students received USD1, 000 each to cover their tuition fees, and five secondary school pupils received USD200 each. In addition to the cash present, other material supports such as assessment tools, digital thermometer, stethoscope, etc., were presented to the three medical students to ease their daily work on campus.
Before making the presentation, KDU’s Rosaline Jones said they started the support during the Ebola disease outbreak to boost medical students that will enable them to improve the country’s health sector when once they complete their course. “We realized during the Ebola outbreak that there are lots of challenges in the health sector such as the ‘one physician to a hundred thousand patient’ ratio, which is why we decided to sponsor University Students to be well trained for quality work in the country,” she remarked and added that the scholarship support is going specifically to merited students and pupils. The beneficiaries, Madam Jones said have over the years been monitored to see that they emerged with flying colors in their academic work to meet the qualification of further support from KDU.
KDU Texas’ President, Yvonne Deen said although last year has been challenging, they are happy to support the beneficiaries and furthered that KDU Texas cannot end the year without providing such support. The financial support, she said is very vital to the recipients and the nation as a whole. “It will not only reflect on you and your families but the sponsors,” she told the beneficiaries via a video conferencing link and noted that “you owe it to yourselves to do your best in acquiring knowledge. We count on you to be productive students and pupils to serve Sierra Leone”. She pledged her organization’s continuous support in the future.
In a letter signed by KDU Texas President, Yvonne Deen and Scholarship Committee Chair, Daniel B. Davies, congratulated the recipients for being KDU Scholarship winners for 2020.
The letter stated thus “Winning a scholarship is not only a happy occasion for you’ the recipient but also for your loved ones, especially your family. We believe you merit the award based on your hard work and the essay you 31.T0te, explaining why you are deserving of the scholarship. We hope that since you have earned this scholarship, whether a medical school scholarship, secondary or elementary school scholarship, you will give back by serving Sierra Leone: especially since there is such a dire need for physicians in the country. We sincerely hope you will not disappoint us.
You must contribute to the experiences and lessons learned and will learn, in school, college, or university, to others. We desire continuous give back to the Sierra Leone community. Thus, essentially fulfilling Krio Descendant’s goal to use knowledge and information obtained to help pave a path for others.
On behalf of the members of KDU of Texas member of KDU Global Inc., we embrace you with best wishes for higher achievement, and a bright, fruitful future.”
