KDU President Message

New Year 2010

I look back on 2009 with a sense of satisfaction and utmost pride in the organization that we are building. The dedication of our members helped us to achieve most of our goals of the year including the following:

·     The rehabilitation of the York Clinic that is now ready to be used to serve patients in the York and surrounding communities.

·     Shipping of medical supplies that were donated from medical facilities around the US, to hospitals in Freetown.

·     Shipping of text books donated by educational facilities in Texas to schools in Freetown.

·     A scholarship drive that raised money for scholarships to 16 very deserving students of Krio heritage.

·     A seminar on health issues and financial awareness for members and well wishers in the Dallas, Texas metroplex hosted by some of our very smart members.

As we embark on this new decade, KDU Texas is faced with a lot of challenges not just for the organization but also for our country Sierra Leone.  Our organization’s mission of reconnecting to and enhancing the cultural heritage of the Krios of Sierra Leone through reflection, education, and charitable giving must be extended to the country as well. There cannot be one without the other.

As we work to enhance our heritage, let us be proud of our contributions to our country, our region and the world.  We have a very rich history of Krio, hence Sierra Leonean, achievements in various fields worldwide that we must educate ourselves and our young ones about.  However, we should not just focus on our past but let those past achievements serve as inspirations for us to continue to search and seek for higher ideals.  Our education should encompass the noblest of ideals, which is service to our fellow man and how we should continue to strive to make not only our lives but the lives of our neighbors better.  We have to be generous with our time, our money and our love for each other.  The more we give, the more we will get and doing so will not only add more meaning to the other person’s life but to ours too.

The Krios are first and foremost Sierra Leoneans.  There cannot be Sierra Leone without the Krios, nor the Krios without Sierra Leone.  As a people we came into existence in Sierra Leone and in the past couple of centuries Sierra Leone has become a better place because of our existence. We have made great contributions towards the country and will continue to do so.  It is my hope that our members understand that the country cannot and will not improve and grow without growth in the entire country.  Sierra Leone is not ranked at the bottom of the UN prosperity scale because of what is happening in Freetown, but because of the lack of facilities in other parts of the country.  Therefore, it is incumbent upon all of us to see the country as a whole and not just as Freetown where most of us hail from.  Let us endeavor to work with other groups to facilitate all around growth.  By doing so, we will once again set the standard that others will hopefully emulate.

My wish is that KDU Texas, our members, our parent body KDY Fritong and all other KDU affiliates will prosper immensely this year and during this decade. 

May God bless us all

Jonathan Nicol