-As a Liberia recalls life in exile as a refuge student
By Augustine Octavius
The old adage that says, “what a man sows, so shall he reap” is exactly what has obtained in the life of a Liberia woman, Mother Sarah Kollie, former head of the Women’s Reproductive Health Group in Gueckedou, Guinea.
Mother Kollie many years ago promptly responded to the needs a struggling Liberian refuge student, Benjamin Saah Kettor while he was in exile.
Recalling this prompt intervention by this kind-hearted woman, who he described as “a good Samaritan,” Kettor said it was about twenty years ago in 1997, when Madam Kollie responded to his request as a Liberian refugee who had desired to enroll at a vocational school, but was financially challenged.
Kettor, who now currently resides in the United States, said Ms. Kollie presented the sum of 1,000 Guinea Franc (GNF) towards his quest for vocational skills, especially in computer science. At the time in 1997, 1,000 Guinea Franc (GNF) was equivalent to US$1.00. Currently, the value of 1,000 Guinea Franc (GNF) is approximately equivalent to US$0.11 (eleven cents).
The former Refugee boy narrated that he had just completed his high school studies from the Kango Refugee High School under the auspices of the International Rescue Committee (IRC). And as such, he was greatly in need of financial support to take computer s cience classes at IRC Vocational Training Institute, Gueckedou, Guinea.
Having been left in exile without the support of his parents, Kettor embarked upon soliciting assistance from recognized individuals in the community to help him make his dream of becoming a Computer science specialist turn into a reality.
Among the many people he wrote for assistance, he said was Mother Sarah Kollie, former head of the Women’s Reproductive Health Group in Gueckedou, Guinea who responded positively to his communication.
Young Kettor was later accepted to take classes at IRC Vocational Training Institute, but had to share a chair and computer with one of his fellow students because of the limited sitting capacity.
Nevertheless, he managed to learn some basic computer skills under such challenging circumstances.
With the knowledge gained from that training, Kettor said he was fortunate to have secured a job with GTZ/UNHCR as Field agent/Team leader during the Voluntary Repatriation of Sierra Leonean Refugees.
The project was conducted in 1998 by air from Kissidougou, Guinea to Lungi International Airport in Sierra Leone, West Africa. His dedication and performance helped pave the way for him to gain other job opportunities.
Kettor resides in the diaspora, to be specific, the United States of America and has been fortunate to acquire additional knowledge in computer science among other achievements.
In retrospect, Kettor remembered this kind-hearted woman for her donation which helped him to achieve a fundamental knowledge in computer literate.
Now, to demonstrate his gratitude, Kettor packaged a surprise gift of appreciation and sent it to Mother Kollie with the same amount, but this time in United States Dollars for the favor done to him twenty years ago.
According to him, he has been saving for twenty years to reach this goal.
“It is worth noting that in life never get weary of doing good, for in due season God will reward you when you least expect it. Never forget those who helped you at the point of your need in life. God might have brought them your way for a reason. But most importantly, never forget God because He will always be there with you no matter what your condition may be,” Kettor said.
He further stated: “Thank you, Ms. Kollie! You may not remember the details of this story but I’m so grateful for your kindness and generosity. Your generous actions demonstrate the saying: Give a man his flowers while he is still alive. May God continue to bless you!”
Receiving the one thousand US dollars at a special Dinner in her honor in the Monrovia suburb of Congo-Town, Mother Sarah Kollie who broke down in tears, expressed gratitude to Kettor and his family “for such a wonderful gesture.”
“I have forgotten this young man, I didn’t do this for a future reward but I am so grateful that this former Refugee boy could remember me especially at a time when the economic situation in our Country is very challenging,” Mother Sarah asserted.
Mother Sarah Kollie has since returned to her homeland, Liberia and is currently a lecturer at the Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA) located on the grounds of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia.