By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
The President of the Sierra Leone- Australia Alumni Association, Usman Conteh, has urged the government of Sierra Leone to engage with their Australian counterparts to resume their annual scholarship program.
Conteh made this appeal during the launch of the association at the Miatta Conference Hall last Thursday.
Sierra Leone has been one of the many countries in the world that used to benefit from post graduate scholarships from the Australian government. However, funding for the program has been cut off in some countries by the Australians.
“This has been so for the last three years; as a result, students have not been able to apply for the scholarships in countries like Sierra Leone and Liberia,” Conteh said.
There have been a general outcry about the decay of the educational system in Sierra Leone; Australian scholarships have in the past helped greatly in providing Sierra Leoneans with quality human resources.
SLAAA was first formed in 2009 by Sierra Leonean students who studied in different states in Australia. According to the President, the organization would seek to foster close corporation between the two countries and build a strong network for students who have studied in Australia.
Sierra Leone has had long standing diplomatic ties with Australia. The Australian government notably was instrumental in accommodating Sierra Leoneans through resettlement programs during the 1991-2002 civil war.
During the Ebola outbreak, Australian health authorities were among the numerous countries that visited the country to help with the crisis. Health practitioners were trained and they set up their own Ebola treatment center.
Conteh said Australian scholarships to health practitioners could be very instrumental in revamping the health sector in the country.
This week, an Australian official from the Australia- Africa Chamber of Commerce, Di Fleming, was in town to promoted better economic ties between both countries.
Sahr Johnny, a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said during Thursday’s launching ceremony: “We are currently engaging with the Australian government to resuscitate the scholarship program.”
During the launch, students narrated their experiences while studying in Australia.
“Australians are very kind and hospitable. What they gave us; education, is extremely valuable to developing this country,” said Mukeh Fahnbulleh, SLAAA’s Program Coordination Secretary.
© Politico 19/07/16
