Well done to the folks in Detroit. This is indeed promising and I join
all others in congratulating you on this accomplishment. Splendid!
Ous Ngum
Columbus, OH
> Beran jeng wrote:
>
> > I congratulate all for their achievements with the hope that the day is
near
> > when sanity will be restored in The gambia ,under an alliance
gorvernment
> > ,allowing us to return and contribute towards our nations building.
> >
> > Beran
> >
> > Students Rake in College Degrees
> >
> > The Independent (Banjul)
> >
> > October 5, 2001
> > Posted to the web October 8, 2001
> >
> > Cherno Baba Jallow
> > Banjul, the Gambia
> >
> > For Gambians in Michigan, USA, the year 2001 has marked an
unprecedented
> > spurt of academic achievements.
> >
> > During the recent graduation ceremony of Davenport University in
Detroit
> > City, five Gambians bagged bachelors degrees, occasioning great
rejoicings
> > within the Gambian community. A month earlier, four other Gambians had
> > graduated from Central Michigan University, three with masters and one
> > bachelor's. The scorecard is undeniably impressive for the
Detroit-based
> > Gambians: 11 of them in this year alone have coveted respective college
> > degrees; many more Gambians are on the verge of graduating in a year or
two.
> >
> > Of glory and motivation This has given Gambians in Detroit, estimated
to
> > number close to 200, newfound optimism about the future. "It's a great
> > achievement," enthused the Kudang-born Surahata Ceesay, who graduated
with
> > M.Sc. in health service administration, and now working for the Trinity
> > Health Care System. "It's very hard going to school full-time and
working,
> > too. It's not an easy task, but it's always going to pay off," he
added.
> >
> > Kebba Barrow, a native of Jarra Barrow Kunda, stressed that Gambians
should
> > not be discouraged in their quest for higher education in the US
because of
> > the attendant difficulties: "It takes time and commitment; this is very
> > important," he asserted. For him, coming to the US was purposely to
seek
> > higher education. He now holds M.Sc. in computer software engineering.
His
> > first degree was in health service administration from the University
of
> > Detroit-Mercy. He said he changed fields because "The Gambia is lacking
in
> > computer software engineering. The health care sector is over-saturated
with
> > people."
> >
> > "It's a record setting," said the Illiassa native Lamin Jammeh.
"Gambians in
> > Detroit have been graduating since 1998, but never has there been many
of
> > them graduate at once," he concluded. Lamin, who also holds M.Sc. in
> > computer information systems, had hoped to attain his Ph.D. in his
father's
> > lifetime. Unfortunately, his father Yusupha "Boukka" Jammeh, former
Managing
> > Director of FACES, died recently, leaving behind a son unrestrained in
his
> > ambition for higher education.
> >
> > The sudden death of his mother Kunda Camara in the fatal accident
involving
> > some UDP officials near Bansang, had to compel Yusupha Kamara to
abandon his
> > masters program and go to The Gambia to bereave her. But he has since
picked
> > up from where he had left off. "I have three more classes before I
obtain my
> > MBA in global management," he revealed. Yusupha opined that Gambians in
the
> > US badly need family support and encouragement to excel in their
academic
> > pursuits. "Also," he added, "you have to set your goals and say, 'this
is
> > what I want to achieve'; it requires hard work and patience."
> >
> > He expressed the hope that when this story about them is published in
The
> > Gambia, it would show a positive image of the majority of hardworking
> > Gambians in the US in mark contrast to recent negative reports of drug
> > smuggling involving some Gambians in North Carolina. For the former
Central
> > Bank employee Sulayman Jammeh, the large-scale Gambian graduation will
> > encourage the few others in Detroit who aren't going to school to do so
now.
> > "We have set an example for others to follow. Education is the best we
can
> > achieve in the US," he emphasised.
> >
> > Sulayman admitted that he wasn't consistent with his undergraduate
classes,
> > as he had dropped out of college to take some banking courses, which
would
> > later land him a better job. "It took me longer to graduate than I had
> > thought, but at least I got what I wanted," he smiled.
> >
> > Sulayman, who holds BA in Finance has just landed a new job as an
accounting
> > analyst with a world travel company. He hopes to enrol this fall for a
> > graduate program in either human resources or general management.
> >
> > The former deputy head girl of Gambia High School, class of 1992, Ramou
> > Ceesay, thanked her family and friends for their support and
encouragement
> > over the years. " I graduated with bachelors in organizational
> > administration; in August, I will enrol for my Master's in industrial
> > administration," she said happily. Ramou is also happy because her
husband
> > Jim Gaye, also graduated with an associates degree in computer
information
> > system and business administration from Wayne County Community College.
"He
> > will be proceeding to the Walsh College of Business," she glowed over
her
> > husband's plan for a four-year college entry.
> >
> > Returning home When is the time to return to The Gambia and contribute
to
> > national development? Kebba called on all Gambians with higher
education to
> > "look into the opportunity of returning home someday and contributing
to
> > national development." With a masters degree in software engineering,
and
> > also doing consultancy work with IBM, IKON, Kebba thought his knowledge
of
> > computers would be of great value to Gambian socio-economic
development.
> >
> > But Yusupha argued that a final return to The Gambia and participation
in
> > national development is "a matter of personal choice." To him, a return
to
> > The Gambia is contingent upon personal and family conditions. "But it's
> > still possible to contribute to national development from afar," he
> > remarked.
> >
> > Sulayman agreed that it's a matter of choice to return or not to return
to
> > The Gambia, but he stressed that it's a sense of family longing that
> > motivates people to return home. "I don't think every Gambian wants to
stay
> > here forever," he claimed. He also questioned the authenticity of
claims of
> > certain Gambians that employment is hard to come by in The Gambia.
> >
> > "People say there are no jobs in The Gambia, but I think with your
education
> > and experience, you could get any job in The Gambia," he said. "
> > Personally," he declared, "I am strongly thinking about returning to
The
> > Gambia.
> >
> > I will be very useful in the banking sector."
> >
> > He agreed that it is good for Gambians to embark on business
enterprises in
> > the US, but they shouldn't be enriching themselves in this country. "I
am
> > not in support of personal development at the expense of national
> > development," he demurred. Sulayman suggested that Gambians should
organize
> > themselves in think tanks, study American ways of national development
and
> > then transplant those ideas in The Gambia. "We could have committees to
look
> > into ideas of job creation and economic development," he suggested.
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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