One of the highlights of my visit was being conducted to see the Koidu open pit mine, which I felt was very fitting since I was (and still am) a student at Virginia Tech in the USA working at a major in Mining and Minerals Engineering and a Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. I enjoyed the tour I was given by the General Manager and Human Resources Manager, and I expressed my interest in doing a summer internship with the company.
After my return to the United States, I applied for the internship position and was offered the position for summer 2013.
I was very excited about this opportunity because I saw it as a great way for me to gain experience in my future career, learn about the Sierra Leone mining industry, and also use my position as the reigning Miss Sierra Leone USA, to promote my personal platform of advocating for the recruitment and retention of girls and women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields while sharing my experience on this interesting odyssey through my blog.
As a Sierra Leonean-born woman, I believe it is very important for us, the Sierra Leonean diaspora, to pursue careers relevant to Sierra Leone and the African continent. We must make it a priority to contribute to the development of Africa. My country, Sierra Leone, is a reason why I chose the path of mining engineering in my future, and ideally I would love to work in that industry in Sierra Leone and throughout Africa in years to come. Whenever Sierra Leone and other African nations are spoken of in local and international media, there is always a mention of the many minerals we have been blessed with. However, I rarely hear of or meet young Sierra Leoneans with formal education in this industry.
There are many Sierra Leoneans employed at Koidu Limited, however few are in managerial or decision-making positions. I believe that it is very important for Sierra Leoneans and other Africans at home to earn relevant degrees and work in this field, as well as members of the diaspora to return and make their contribution with their degrees earned abroad. Investing in a quality education that pertains to mining is a great investment in Sierra Leone’s and Africa’s economy, and I believe it is our responsibility as Sierra Leoneans and Africans at home and abroad to do so. In addition, an increase in individuals seeking education and experience in the mining industry is a decrease in unemployment for the youth and Africans as a whole.
Read the full article here.
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| Ruby B. Johnson - Future Mining and Minerals Engineer and Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012-2014 |
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