On behalf of the OKSA executive and on my personal behalf, I want to take this opportunity to welcome all of you to our new website. The main objective of this wedsite is to help us in the rebranding of OKSA. I want to take this opportunity to tell you once more about the history of OKSA and what it has accomplished so far.
OKSA was founded in March of 1992 when the first meeting of old boys and girls was convened at Flagstaff Road, Landover, Maryland, in the residence of Dr. Alusine S. Jah. After that meeting another one was convened in 1993 in which an executive was elected. Unfortunately, there was a brief hiatus in the activities of the association because of lack of proper sensitization of alums about the aims and objectives of the association. After an elaborate canvassing program and sensitization campaign of alumni and alumnae, another meeting was reconvened in 1955 in which a new executive was elected. During that meeting, lofty ideals and goals about the association were extolled and this helped to galvanize a lot of alums. The word spread like wild fire and the enthusiasm that was stoked that day has not diminished. It got better and better every year.
From 1995 to present, the association has invested over $135,000.00 in various projects in the school (one hundred and thirty five thousand US dollars)
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: $105,000.00
These funds were generated mostly from our fundraising actives, generous donations from alums and friends of Kelantan. 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.
However, we have come to the realization that we will not be able to move OKSA to the enviable position we envisaged when this association was founded if we rely solely on funds generated from annual fundraising dances due to the fatigued that has gripped the metropolis. There is a mushrooming of alumni organizations in the tri states of Maryland, Virginia and Washington that has diminished the appetite of giving because in most cases, the same people have been asked to donate all the time.
The biggest challenge facing the association at the moment is how to come up with innovative ideas that will diversify our fundraising appeal. We made some attempts in the past by setting an exploratory committee (task force) that will chart the way forward but due to lack of proper coordination, or I may say, lack of commitment, the task force that was formed did not metamorphosed to what was required from it. It is my 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 exits in this great country. We have very great minds and infinite potential within our association and there is nothing we cannot accomplish if only 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 Kolentan. 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 from alumni in the Diaspora and Sierra Leone 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 the greatest challenge facing the citizens of Sierra Leone living in the Diaspora or back home. However, since this is the theme of this year’s reunion, I will leave it to our Grand Chief Patrons to delve into the significance of this concept. I will just make a quick passing commentary. But before I do that, I want to take this opportunity to thank profusely fellow alums with every fiber of my being, for the magnanimity they have shown towards your 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 mentality 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 you have enough to share. I am beseeching all of you tonight to take a deep introspection into the art of giving and see if we would have 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 trendsetter in our fundraising endeavors.
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 boldly caption heading: N’jala university needs toilets. I was shocked and deeply saddened after reading the article. I asked myself this questions: Where are all the alumni of this great institution? The problem of N’jala is symptomatic of all the tertiary intuitions 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 plum positions within the country carless about those intuitions that made them what they are today. When you drive along in the US you see vehicle with bumper stickers: 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 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 OKSA executive was formed in 1993, I have been its chairman. It is almost 21 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 onto 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 great things until you put him in a position trust that is challenge. I am pretty sure OKSA has a reservoir of young and energetic alums that are capable, or even more capable in exceeding the achievements of the current executive. Please let us give this proposition a very serious thought during our deliberations tonight.
One of the fundamentals principals enshrined in our constitution is fostering camaraderie and brotherhood. In any association there are bound to be disagreements but we should not allow these disagreements to degenerate to pernicious personal animosities that threaten the survival of the association. We should always remember that Koleten comes first and personal scores, if any, should be settled outside the corridors of Kolenten. We should be thankful that we have not allowed this to happen since the inception of this association and we should make sure it stays that way. The unbounding friendship that has exited amongst us should continue if we want OKSA to be the envy of other alumni organizations.
Thank you very much for your undivided attention.
May our light forever continue to shine.
Chairman Hassan Baraka
Donated: USA
