SJSS Alumni Association USA and Canada aids in major refurbishment of school
Recently, St Joseph’s Secondary School Alumni Association of USA and Canada, after conducting a video documentary on the condition of the school held a major fundraising campaign named ‘Operation Sponsor a Chair.’ Due to their hard work, dedication, and effort in making members, family, friends, and coworkers aware of the dire need for equipment and supplies the association raised the fantastic amount of just over $18,000.
From the funds the association was able to donate 415 sets of tables and chairs, as well as new blackboards and notice boards for twenty-two classrooms!
Additionally, due to the success of the campaign the association was able to rehabilitate the toilets and water system.
Mrs. Mariama Sesay, representing SJSS Alumni Association at the handing over ceremony asserted the association’s accomplishment was spearheaded by the current executives in the USA led by Mary Kuyateh President of the association and Aziza Loubi-Sesay, Vice President. Mrs. Sesay expressed hope that the recent refurbishment would provide pupils with the motivation to study hard and accomplish academic success for themselves and the school.
Mrs Hilda Lamboi, Principal of the school extended her grateful thanks to the association assuring that the donations set a very clear future in terms of academic pursuit.
Haja Isatu Bah, Head Girl, Junior Seconday School (JSS) gave thanks to the association on behalf of the pupils and said they are proud of the school and what it has done for them.
Below is the speech of Mariama Sesay at the presentation ceremony.
Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen,
My name is Mariama Sesay, but when I was at the school I was Miss Mariama Jalloh. I am here representing the Alumni Association of the USA and Canada to formally present chairs, tables and black boards to our school.
In 2010 the SJSS Alumni Association in the Washington DC had dwindled in membership and participation. So in November of 2010 a group of us decided to form a committee and organize a social event for past pupils only, to try to re-vamp enthusiasm.
The committee sent a camera crew to document the needs of the school so they could share that information at the social. We wanted to give first-hand information of the situation at the school. The video was shown at the social describing the plight of the school and at the very next meeting in December the OPERATION SPONSOR A CHAIR fundraising campaign was launched.
Members were asked to reach out to friends, family and co-workers and by March of 2011, we had raised about 18k. We were tracking the contribution by our different houses. We made 415 sets of tables and chairs, but we still had some money left over so we looked into other pressing issues at the school. To date we have completely rehabilitated the toilets as well as the water system, and replaced blackboards and notice boards in Twenty Two (22) classrooms.
We were able to accomplish all of this by the leadership of our current Executive in the USA lead by Mary Kuyateh and Azziza Lyoubi-Sesay.
We would also like to thank all our donors in the USA and Canada and everybody who contributed towards this cause.
We hope that with these donations our current students will work hard and do their best so that our beloved school can stand as tall as it stood when I was a student and take its rightful place as the No. 1 secondary school in the whole of Sierra Leone.
Esto Fidelis.
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