Marian Marah, one of our successful applicants this year!
Hey all,
Sorry for the long silence, the last month has been beyond crazy. We had over 30 applicants for our scholarships this year, and we had to shortlist all of the applicants and interview the best 17 candidates during the 3rd week of July. The interviews were so challenging and encouraging - it was truly amazing to see the difference this program has made in these young people's lives in such a short time. It was incredibly inspiring to hear them talk about their visions, goals, and dreams with so much CONFIDENCE that they could actually achieve them, because they have now been given the chance to have that opportunity. There were also a few youth who are still in the developing stage, and were not too confident or sure of their self-value and unique talents yet - so although it was difficult to say "no" to some of these youth regarding scholarships this year, it is encouraging to think that in a year or two their confidence and ability to succeed in life will have grown due to their involvement in these programs. Honestly, the decisions were really tough this year - imagine having so many bright, talented youth with plans to impact their own future and the community around them, and actually having to choose which ones deserve that opportunity! They certainly all deserve that opportunity, but the funds were not enough this year to provide all of them with it; and in Krio we say "small e fayn o" meaning "small is beautiful". We don't want to offer scholarships that we can't continue next year, so it's best to start small and then grown big in the future. Fortunately, I had an experienced panel of judges doing the interviews with me, so we were able to make clearheaded and non-biased decisions at the end of the day. Rev. John Phiri, the Coordinator for the CRC Church in Sierra Leone and one of our head partners, was sitting in on these interviews, as well as the youth pastor, Maxwell Kanu, my program manager, Fakulie Jawara, and our two volunteers from South Korea, David Yu Up Lee and Keewhan Sung. It was truly a humbling experience working with all of these great people and having them all put their hearts, minds, and heads together so that we could not only make the best decisions, but also encourage and uplift our youth in the progress.
One of the questions we asked in our interviews was "how has this program affected or changed your life?" and I was nearly brought to tears several times because of the answers. One of the students being interviewed, Rugiatu Tarawalie, stated that "This program has really changed the way I interact with others and the way I view my life. Before, it was difficult to speak with confidence or look at myself with value and love, but now I know I am a unique child of God and I deserve love and respect in all my relationships - so I treat others with that same respect." Imagine that kind of a statement coming from someone who has only been in this program for two years! Rugi was chosen as one of the leaders in the program this year, and she will be facilitating the workshops and bible studies we run throughout the year.
Another student answered that question by stating that this program has really changed his life for the better, because it has given him the strength and courage to handle tough situations by talking to his mentor and relying on the support of the youth group. What encouraging and uplifting words to hear from youth who were struggling so much even a few years ago!
After the week of difficult decisions, we called all our applicants back and told them our final decisions - whether or not they had the scholarships. It was one of the toughest tasks I've ever had when I had to inform the non-successful applicants they had to reapply, but we all did our best to encourage them and tell them that this is not the end of the road, only a reason to get up and try even harder. I sincerely hope the program keeps benefiting them this year and that we are able to raise the funds to send all of these promising and amazing youth to school next year.
It was incredible, however, to see the joy on the faces of our successful applicants. We were able to capture some of these moments on video, and I look forward to sharing these clips with you all very soon (editing them now!) so you can see the incredible difference this makes in the lives of these youth. One of our successful applicants, Marian Marah, burst into tears and couldn't believe her ears when we told her she was successful. Marian's story is just one of many, but she has grown up in an abusive home and had no option to continue her education...she was nearly being forced to sleep with men for money, and she felt like there was no way out. How amazing to see a beautiful young woman like this given the opportunity to change her story! Truly, I can only thank you all and thank God for the support and growth of this program. These youth are so close to my heart and it means the world to me that even though you don't know them, you have chosen to believe in their potential and help them let their light shine. I think I can sum up the joy and celebration best in the words Rev. John spoke to Marian when she received her scholarship:
"Marian, you have been successful..we are giving you a scholarship so you can pursue the dreams of your life. God saw your tears when you cried behind that closed door...he saw your tears, and he did not forget you. God has a PLAN for you Marian, a plan full of hope and future, and hope that will not burn out. We want to see you achieve your goal of becoming a doctor, and we want to help you reach the dream you thought was impossible."
This year, we awarded returning scholarships to Martin Koroma, Martin Jonal Lisa, Saio Jalloh, and Frank Foray Sesay valued at $1000 each. We awarded 4 brand new full scholarships to Marian Marah, Binty Jawara, Lansana D. Koroma and Merah D. Koroma also valued at $1000 each. We awarded two partial scholarships valued at $500 each to Rugiatu Tarawalie and Amara S. Fefegula, so they could continue the school they had started and ran out of money for. We also awarded two high school scholarships for final year to Teddy Kamara and Sheku Jawara, valued at $100 each - both of these young men would have dropped out of high school if not for these scholarships, because there was no one in their family to support them. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for being a part of making dreams come true! Pictures and video to come...you have made more of a difference than you can ever know.
-Krissi Bucholtz, Executive Director
