In a bid to support development in Sierra Leone through education, a not-for-profit Sierra Leonean organization based in the United State of America, Greater Chicago by the name of Sierra Education Fund, has supported ten students of the Milton Margai Technical University to pursue higher education in technical skills.
Speaking before presenting the scholarship, the former president of the Fund, Kadia Koroma, said the Sierra Education Fund was created by Sierra Leoneans living in the Greater Chicago area, United State of America, in an effort to providing support for Sierra Leoneans who are in pursuit of education.
Madam Koroma said they had decided to support ten students with tuition fees and some stipend to facilitate their academic activities. “We are giving each student the sum of $300 per and a total of $ 3,000 to the ten students benefiting from this scholarship”. She added that it was the second time the organization was supporting students at the Milton Margai Technical University and that the monies usually come from their annual dinner and the support they get from goodwill friends of the organization.
Prof: Philip John Kanu is the Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Milton Margai Technical University, he expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Sierra Education Fund for their support to the University and their students. It had been a difficult thing for students to support their tuition fees and other extra charges, but such support from Sierra Education fund was enviable and laudable, Prof Philip John Kanu stressed. Professor Kanu further said that supporting the technical aspect of the education was the heartbeat of the University and the desire of President Julius Maada Bio, and it form the basis of turned the upgrading the institution to a Technical University. He said they too had been doing their best to achieve the President’s dream. “I admire your lens in supporting girl education, which is President Bio’s baby, so giving 40% of your support to girls as part of the beneficiaries shows your commitment to promoting girls’ education,” Professor Khanu commended.
He encouraged the student who benefited from the scholarships to focus on their academic activities, and the support, he said, will be communicated to the authorities necessary. “We will also list Sierra Education Fund as part of the institutions that are supporting students at MMTU. I am hoping the Alumni will copy from Sierra Education Fund in terms of supporting students in this our university” Professor Kanu ended.