Hello world!!!
Hope you and yours are doing well. I've been busy and happy, thanks to the Almighty. This past Friday, I attended the inaugural Annual Fundraising Dance by the Yengema Town Descendants Association - USA. According to the President of YDA-USA, Alhaji Sheku Kakay, the purpose of this event was to raise funds that will be used to "support children of Yengema" in getting better education. Besides raising funds for such a great cause, the event was full of laughs, food, and dancing; I was warmly welcomed by the YDA-USA members and humbled by the love they showed me; thank you YDA-USA for the VIP treatment you gave to your Miss Salone!
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| Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson |
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Alhaji Sheku Kakay (President of Yengema Town Descendants Association - USA)
and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012-2014 Ruby B. Johnson |
Fact: Yengema is a town in Kono District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. The major industry in and around Yengema is diamond mining. The town is home to Yengema Airport, the main airport serving Kono District. During the civil war (1991-2002) in Sierra Leone, Yengema was heavily destroyed and constantly fought over due to the rich diamond reserves in the town. This forced many of the residents to flee. Yengema has several primary schools and the town is home to the Yengema Secondary School (widely known as 'YSS'), which is one of the most widely known secondary schools in Sierra Leone.
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Left-Right:
YDA-USA member, Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson,
Ms. Nyama Deen (YDA-USA member & Event MC), and Mr. Deen (YDA-USA member) |
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Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson and
Miss Joanna Arku (Designer and Fashion Expert) |
The former civil war in Sierra Leone and its effects in Yengema Town is the primary reason this event was held. Primary and secondary schools were destabilized during this time, and the effects are still visible in the community. Being that my platform as Miss Sierra Leone USA is
Advocating for SHERO and one of the pillars is Education, I found this event to be very relevant. During the event, Ms. Nyama Deen recognized me (one of the best introductions I've ever heard - thank you Ms. Deen), and I had an opportunity to speak to the crowd about my platforms (Advocating for SHERO,
Advocating for the recruitment and retention of girls/women in STEM fields), the importance of education, my recent Salone Homecoming Trip, importance of culture, my experience in mining and minerals engineering, and many more.
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| Beautiful Sierra Leonean women in elegant afrikanas on the dance floor! |
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| The dance floor! |
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Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson and
Mrs. Mariatu Kakay (Wife of YDA-USA President) |
The YDA-USA Annual Fundraiser was a great time to celebrate the culture and lives of the people of Yengema Town, and Sierra Leone heritage. Although I am unsure of the total amount that was raised at the end of the event, I am happy to say that there were exorbitant amount of monetary donations made throughout the night by individuals and other ethnic group organizations.
Ruby B. Johnson,
Your Miss Sierra Leone USA.
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