Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012-2014 Hosts 2013 Queen of Africa Pageant

Hello world!!!

Hope you and yours are doing well. I've been very busy (as usual), but happy and feeling blessed for every moment. I hope you all have been reading my recent posts about my official Salone 2013 Homecoming Trip as your Miss Sierra Leone USA; I made a variety of visits, and took lots of photos to share with you all. Due to the fact that I have been occupied with blogging about the Homecoming, I'm behind on a couple of events I have done since my return from Sierra Leone, so let's play catch-up now on one of those events! On Sunday, June 2nd, I hosted the inaugural 2013 Queen of Africa USA Business Pageant.

2013 Queen of Africa finalist - Miss Sierra Leone Mamie Miatta Sandy and
Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012-2014 Ruby B. Johnson (Host of QOA Pageant)

In the photo above, I am pictured with our beautiful Queen of Africa finalist who represented Mama Salone. Miss Miatta carried herself with pride, confidence, intelligence, and waved our Green.White.Blue flag with respect and honor. She embodied the true essence of a phenomenal Sierra Leonean woman, and I couldn't have been more proud. Whether Ms. Miatta plans to pursue to more pageants (which I think she should) or not, she definitely has a bright future! Our Queen was also the Best in Evening Gown winner at the Pageant; the beautiful gown in the photo.

2013 Queen of Africa USA Business Pageant Contestants in the evening gowns

This pageant is created by Swadu Natasha Beckley, our former Miss World Sierra Leone 2011-2012 and Miss Sierra Leone DC/USA 2008-2010. According to Ms. Beckley, the purpose of this pageant is to promote young African women entrepreneurs, and the winner gets $3,000 to start her own business, sponsor a charity of her choice, or use the fund to further her education. Representing 10 countries of the West, Central, and Southern Africa regions, the 12 phenomenal finalists performed with excellence on stage and rightfully represented each of their nations and the African continent. Although I have only been part of one pageant, which is where I won the title of Miss SLUSA, I could relate to what the contestants were going through. It takes a lot of bravery to stand on that stage, but it is also great honor for them to have earned their country's sashes on that night! Once again, I'll like to congratulate all the finalists on a job well done. With fantastic African women like these, I see excellence and nothing less for Mama Africa and the world as a whole!

Left-Right:
Alice Gyamfi (2013 Miss Africa USA finalist - Ghana),
Elizabeth Chitseko (2013 QOA finalist - Zimbabwe),
and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

I was honored to have been invited to host this pageant, and had a great time; the audience even got to see some of my awesome Salone and African dance moves (such as azonto). Besides talking about the finalists and purpose of the QOA Pageant while hosting, I spoke about: my platform of advocating for SHERO, as well as advocating for the recruitment and retention of girls and women in STEM fields; the importance of having a platform during a titleholder's time of service; breaking the stereotypes and misconceptions of pageants and titleholders; and many more.

Here's a video below of my speech while talking about platforms and pageantry:

Congratulations to the beautiful QOA Finalist - Senegal Zeyna Cisse who was crowned 2013 Queen of Africa USA. She's a beautiful, eloquent, and intelligent woman who spoke with passion and conviction of her platform, as well as wonderfully represented her nation with elegance and confidence throughout the pageant. I wish her all the best during her reign and in her future endeavors. Also, congratulations to QOA finalist - Zimbabwe Elizabeth Chitseko who was crowned Princess of Southern Africa USA, QOA finalist - Cameroon Cynthia Talla Demgueu who was crowned Princess of Central Africa USA, and QOA finalist - Mali Niamoye Toure who was crowned Princess of West Africa USA. Congratulations to QOA finalist - Sierra Leone Mamie Miatta Sandy who won Best in Evening Gown, QOA finalist - Ghana Megan Asafo-Agyei who won the People's Choice (via instagram voting), and QOA finalist - Congo Brazaville Kiesse Doulou who won Miss Congeniality.

2013 Queen of Africa USA Zeyna Cisse and her court

Ruby B. Johnson,
Your Miss Sierra Leone USA.

Like my Facebook Page & Follow me on Twitter (@MissSaloneUSA)

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013 Homecoming - Week 2 (Part III)

Hello world!!!

Hope you and yours are doing well. I'm doing great, thanks to the Almighty. As promised, I've been writing detailed blogs about my adventures during my recent Homecoming Trip to Salone as Miss Sierra Leone USA; read my preview blog post. On Friday (May 10th), I traveled to Kono by road and was scheduled for a tour of the Kimberlite mine in Koidu the next day. The ride to Kono from Freetown (Western Area) was long and sometimes bumpy, but I enjoyed crossing many districts, seeing the street vendors, and buying food and poyo (palm wine); this was my first trip to upline (the provinces). Kono is a diamond-rich district in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone; its capital and largest city is Koidu Town. On Saturday (May 11th) morning, I visited Octea Mining's Koidu Limited (formerly Koidu Holdings) site and saw their Kimberlite Diamond Project. The site is located in the Tankoro Chiefdom, has 2 kimberlite pipes (K1 and K2), and 4 kimberlite dyke zones.

Mr. Christo Swanepoel (General Manager) shows the mine plan of the two kimberlite
pipes to Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

After checking in with security, getting my visitor badge and PPE (vest and hard hat) items, and being driven to the office area by Mr. Julius Aruna (Human Resources & Administrative Manager), I had a meeting with Mr. Christo Swanepoel (General Manager & Mining Engineer), which included a safety orientation by the Safety Manager. Mr. Christo Swanepoel explained the history and showed the map of the mine, what Octea Mining does, how the company communicates with the people in the town during loud mine activities (such as blasting), and answered the multitude of questions I had for him. In addition, I told him about my decision to become a mining and minerals engineer, my work experience in this field and course work at Virginia Tech's Mining and Minerals Engineering department, as well as the present and future of the mining sector in Sierra Leone and in the United States. Towards the end of my tour, I also got to speak with the head of the engineering department at Koidu Limited, Mr. Thomas Philips.

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson in
Koidu Limited Kimberlite Diamond Mine

Left-Right:
Mr. James Kamara (Miss SLUSA's driver),
Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson,
Mr. Christo Swanepoel (General Manager & Mining Engineer), and
Mr. Julius Aruna (Human Resources & Administrative Manager

Left-Right:
Mr. Christo Swanepoel (General Manager),
Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson,
Mr. Julius Aruna (Human Resources & Administrative Manager)

On this day a blast was to be done in K2 (Pipe 2) in the afternoon, so during the times that I was driven around the site I heard announcements on the local radio notifying the community about it for safety reasons; the announcements were done in Kono and Krio. The purpose of this is to notify the people in the local area about the noise, and to stay clear just in case some flyrocks go out of bounds during the blast. After my tour and on my way out, I saw some vendors and residents living close to the mine leaving to stay clear for the blast that was to take place. According to Mr. Swanepoel, rarely do flyrocks go outside the mine, however, the company visits close areas in the community to verify that everyone is safe after every blast.

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson in front of a haul truck

Visiting Koidu Limited was my last official visit during my Homecoming, and honestly I couldn't think of a better way to end my tour. If you follow me on facebook, you'll be familiar with my saying: "I trade my Miss Sierra Leone USA crown for a hard hat, my sash for a vest, and my heels for a steel-toe boots as a mining engineer!" I may be biased, but this visit was one of my favorite because I was in an area that I'm knowledgeable about; not to sound cliche, but I felt right at home and skipped around the mine all day. The engineers and staff could definitely see how excited I was! 

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

This visit was very important to me because it correlates with one of the pillars of my personal platform (advocating for SHERO) as Miss Sierra Leone USA which is Education. Also, I believe that a woman's place CAN be the house, MINES/QUARRY, hospital, court, office, Church/Mosque, theater, school, studio, lab, etc. As a woman in a field that is predominantly male such as engineering, I actively advocate for the recruitment and retention of girls and women in STEM (Science. Technology. Engineering. Mathematics) fields. I believe that the equal inclusion of girls and women in STEM is essential because we are valuable assets in the progress of these careers, and investing in girls' education in these fields is an investment in a successful community.

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Mr. Thomas Philips (Head of Engineering Department and Mining Engineer)
and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson - The Mining and Minerals Engineer

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson
Check out the visitor badge!

Overall, I really enjoyed this visit and had a great chat with the staff and engineers, as well as a great tour of the site. I'm very thankful to Koidu Limited for welcoming me to their operations, and being such great hosts to their Miss Sierra Leone USA and mining engineer! I am also grateful for Dr. Fuambai Sia Ahmadu (Owner of the Miss SLUSA Pageant) and the Miss Sierra Leone in DC (MSLDC Inc.) organization for this fantastic opportunity, they're truly the best for always providing the greatest opportunities for their Queen! I was sad to leave but I had to before late afternoon because I had to get back on the road to head back to Freetown. I spent another day in Freetown with family and friends, and headed back to the United States the day after to take my final exams in college.

Mr. James Kamara (Miss SLUSA's driver) and
Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 eating lunch in Koidu Limited's Canteen

Fambul den, this blog post marks the end of Week 2 and my Official Salone Homecoming as Miss Sierra Leone USA. But, look out for an upcoming blog post that involves my activities that were non-related to my Miss SLUSA activities and observations about Sierra Leone.

Ruby B. Johnson,

Your Miss Sierra Leone USA.

Like my Facebook Page & Follow me on Twitter (@MissSaloneUSA)

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013 Homecoming - Week 2 (Part II)

Hello world!!!

Hope you and yours are doing well. I'm doing fantastic, thanks to the Almighty. As promised, I'll be writing detailed blogs about my adventures during my recent Homecoming Trip to Salone as Miss Sierra Leone USA; read my preview blog post. On Tuesday (May 7th) morning, I visited the Embassy of the United States of America and had a meeting with Ambassador Michael Owen, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Sierra Leone. As a U.S. Citizen, it was fitting for me to pay a courtesy call to the Ambassador and officially talk about my Homecoming trip. At the meeting, I spoke about the purpose of my Homecoming trip, my reasons for getting involved with the MSLDC Inc. organization and the Miss Sierra Leone USA Pageant, my  platforms as Miss Sierra Leone USA, my endeavors as a mining engineering student, and many more. Ambassador Owen was very welcoming and expressed his excitement to meet me, and also discussed the importance of Sierra Leone-USA relationships, and the importance of Sierra Leone’s diaspora to both countries. Unfortunately, I didn't get to take a photo with the Ambassador with my camera due to the fact that their a zero-tolerance for cameras at the embassy but a photo was taken by the embassy's photographer and I'll share it when I receive it in my inbox!

On Thursday (May 9th) morning, I visited Rokupa Government Hospital. As a daughter of a nurse who loves and cares for her patients, members in the healthcare sector are very important to me and that is why I made it a priority to visit these medical institutions, interact with the patients, and express my gratitude to the medical practitioners and hospital staff. In addition, in my personal platform (advocating for SHERO), H is for health. Also, the national platform of the Miss Sierra Leone USA Pageant is improving infant and maternal health in Salone.

Left-Right:
Matron Binty Bangura,
Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson,
and Matron Hawa Janneh

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson and nurses of
Rokupa Government Hospital in the antenatal clinic

At midday, I visited The Sierra Leone Psychiatric Hospital in Kissy. This hospital was opened in 1823, one of the oldest psychiatric institutions in West Africa, and the only institution in mental health in Sierra Leone that caters to patients who come from all districts of the nation. During my visit, Dr. A. Muana (the hospital's medical superintendent) discussed the institution's history, its challenges, the importance of mental health in our nation, and many more. I got to visit the female and male wards, and interact with the patients in the 6/10 wards that are primarily used at the moment. Getting to interact with the patients brought a lot of emotions for me because on one end, I was happy to see that the hospital is a great resource for those that need mental health care and have the opportunity to have a healthier future; this hospital provides free healthcare to all patients. However, it was difficult to see how young and vibrant most of the patients were, most of them were 30 years old and younger, and primarily men. In addition, this hospital also caters to individuals dealing with drug abuse and used as a rehabilitation center due to the fact that Sierra Leone currently does not have drug rehabilitation centers. The hospital has very few mental health professionals, and some nurses do their practicals at this institution; I got to meet them and thank them for their service.

I'm pictured below with Matron Anneiru K. Braimah, who kindly gave me a tour of the hospital. Besides my interaction with the patients and nurses, I also got to see and express my gratitude to the kitchen staff. Their role in cooking nutritious food for the patients is very relevant, and they are a key contribution in the development of the hospital. I am very grateful to have had a chance to visit this institution, especially since I know the importance and relevance of mental health in a community, and I plan to help raise awareness on this sector as well as the hospital. Hopefully this post will inspire you to do the same as well.

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson and Matron Anneiru K. Braimah

Later that afternoon, I visited the United Methodist Health and Medical Services; this institution has a general hospital and an eye clinic. During my visit, I visited the various wards of the hospital and interacted with the patients in the female and male wards, meet and thank the nurses, doctors, and staff for their dedicated service to the welfare of the patients. In the photo below, I'm pictured with little baby Gifty, who was just a few days old. Baby Gifty and her mother, Yeabu, currently benefit from our nation's free healthcare system for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children 5 years old and below.

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson and baby Gifty

"The soul is healed by being with children"

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 and nurses of United Methodist Health hospital

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson and Mr. Johanes (son of one of the nurses)

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson and the hospital's pharmacists

Overall, I had a productive day that was very informational. I'm grateful for the knowledge I gained at all institutions, and ability to have been given this opportunity. I hope to give back in some way from this experience.

Ruby B. Johnson,
Your Miss Sierra Leone USA.

Like my Facebook Page & Follow me on Twitter (@MissSaloneUSA)

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013 Homecoming - Week 2 (Part I)

Hello world!!!

Hope you and yours are doing well. I'm doing well, thanks to the Almighty. As promised, I'll be writing detailed blogs about my adventures during my recent Homecoming Trip to Salone as Miss Sierra Leone USA; read my preview blog post. On Monday (May 6th) morning, I visited Pauline Community Primary School and got to interact with the students and teachers.

Class 1 and Nursery students with Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

SMILE! Let me see your teeth!
Class 1 students and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Class 1 and Nursery students with Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

During my visit, even though I told the students my real name they preferred calling me "princess." I thought that was very cute, and told them they were Sierra Leonean princesses and princes too!

"SMILE! Let me see your teeth!"
Nursery students and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Nursery students and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Nursery girls and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Miss Mabinty (Head Teacher) and
Miss Katherine (Teacher) with
Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Nursery and Class 1 students with Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

The photo above was taken during the time the Pauline Community Primary students were singing and acting out some of their class songs for me. It reminded me of my nursery and reception days in primary school at Akibora and Murraydeen. The fact that I remembered most of the words for these songs and sang along made me feel really good and connected with them.

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson with Nursery student

In the photo above, I was interacting with one of the shy little ladies in the nursery class. As you can see in the background, the students were blowing their multicolored balloons from one of the nursery songs they've learned.

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson with Class 4 and Class 5 students

Left-Right:
Mr. Kamara (Class 4 teacher),
Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson,
and Mr. Kamara (Class 5 teacher)

Mr. Kamaras (Class 4 and Class 5 teachers),
Ms. Leni (Pauline School Sponsor), and
Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson and Ms. Leni (School sponsor)

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson with Class 4 and Class 5 students

I loved answering the multitude of questions the students had, and was very inspired by the brilliance of the girl students. As a current student and having my platforms of advocating for SHERO (Service, Health, Education, Rights, Opportunities) as well as advocating for the recruitment and retention of girls and women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields, I was very impressed by the students and reassured that the future of our nation is brighter with leaders like these!

Class 4 students and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson with Class 2 and Class 3 students

Class 3 student, Ms. Kargbo, and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013

The sweet young girl in the picture above made me a paper boat and gave it to me as a gift and told me how much she admired me and appreciated my visit to their school. I had a great time meeting all the students at the school, and was very honored to have been invited to meet Ms. Leni's amazing children!


Ruby B. Johnson,
Your Miss Sierra Leone USA

Like my Facebook Page & Follow me on Twitter (@MissSaloneUSA)

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013 Homecoming - Week 1 (Part VI)

Hello world!!!

Hope you and yours are doing well. I'm doing well, thanks to the Almighty. As promised, I'll be writing detailed blogs about my adventures during my recent Homecoming Trip to Salone as Miss Sierra Leone USA; read my preview blog post. On Saturday (May 4th) night, I attended the inaugural Annual Youth Excellence Awards Dinner & Gala 2013 at Family Kingdom; the theme of this year's event was "Shine A Light." The purpose of this event was to "highlight, and applaud those young people who represent the best of Sierra Leone."

Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson

Vickie Remoe (Founder of YEA and Swit Salone Media creator) and
Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson
Photo Courtesy: Vickie Remoe

Some of the Award recipients were: Fantacee Wiz (Arts Category - Music), Michael Bonney Bassey (Arts Category - Film), Marvel Lombi (Community Service), David Sengeh (Technology and Innovation), Mary Ann Kai Kai (Arts Category - Fashion Design), John M. Koroma (Academic Achievement - WASSCE), Bartoul Mortada (Academic Achievement - WASSCE), etc. The event included performances by Miss World Sierra Leone 2012-2013 Vanessa Williams, Fritong Playas (Freetown Players), Esther Sesay featuring Tom, etc. Guests included: Jimmy Bangura a.k.a Jimmy B, JayArr, Mr. Desmond Finney, Miss University Africa Sierra Leone 2012-2013 Josephine Kamara, etc.

Left-Right:
Miss University Africa Sierra Leone 2012-2013 Josephine Kamara,
Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013-2014 Ruby B. Johnson,
and Adama (MUA Sierra Leone's cousin)

Charlie Haffner with Fritong Playas (Freetown Players) performing

This Award show was very empowering, and I was inspired by the phenomenal young women and men that received awards on that night. Having a community of youth like this reinforces the fact that Sierra Leone has nothing less than a brighter future. Congratulations to Ms. Vickie and her entire YEA team on a great show!

Fambul den, this is how the first week of my Homecoming Trip ended. Look out for upcoming blog posts about my second week!

Ruby B. Johnson,
Your Miss Sierra Leone USA

Like my Facebook Page & Follow me on Twitter (@MissSaloneUSA)