Tegloma Minnesota Gearing Up to Host the Federation

Hassan H. Kamara
Tegloma Minnesota Chapter  President

When earlier on in the year the members of the Tegloma Minnesota Bidding Committee were informed that out of the chapters bidding to host the 2013 Tegloma International Convention, they had been awarded the privilege, it was a bitter sweet moment.

It was a bitter moment because members of Minnesota Chapter were realists who were aware of the immense work that was involved in hosting a delegation of over 300 Sierra Leoneans and friends of  Tegloma from all over the United States, Canada and abroad.  There was going to be arrangements for accommodation,  feeding,  entertainment,  transportation, security, securing venues, printing T-shirts, progams and all the nitty gritty of organizational detail that went into planning such a big event.

Mrs. Safiatu Kamara
Minnesota Tegloma First Lady

Fortunately,  most members of the convention planning committee were old hands at organizing and though the task was huge, we knew that nothing was impossible, and that with proper planning and efficient organization we would be up to the challenge.

Hosting the convention was however sweet as it represented an opportunity to showcase our country and our culture to the people of Midwestern United States. It was also a unique opportunity to show our Sierra Leone brothers and sisters of Tegloma that there is more to Minnesota than the extremely cold winters and summer thunderstorms.

Mrs. Rebecca Johnson Tegloma MN
Federation Vice Chairman

Minnesota, a state that is more than three times the size of Sierra Leone, is the home of the Mayo Clinic,  the best cancer hospital and research center in the world and among the best hospitals in the world.

Minnesota is also home to Medtronics and Boston Scientific, two of the best medical device manufactuters in the world who are both at the cutting edge of medical equipment technology.  Minnesota is the Headquarters of Best Buy, one of the largest electronic retailers in the world. Minnesota's twin Cities of Minneapolis and the Capital Saint Paul, separated by the river Mississippi are home to some of the best universities in USA, including the University of Minnesota,  Hamline University,  Macalester, Saint Thomas, Bethel, Concordia, Saint Scholastica,  to name but a few.

Ms. Elizabeth Saidu-Momoh
Member Minnesosata Board of Dir

Minnesota also has some of the largest Asian population in USA, especially the Hmong and Vietnamese, together with a sizeable population of Chinese,  Thai and other Asians, consequently the state has some of the freshest and best Asian food in the country,  which is especially great for Sierra Leoneans,  as we can get fresh potato leaves all year long,  even in Winter. The largest Somali and Liberian and Somali populations in USA also just happens to be in Minnesota.

Minnesota is home to the Mall of America,  a behemoth structure currently under expansion that is the largest shopping mall in the United States of America. Anything you want you can get at the Mall of America.

Abu Bhonapha Tegloma Federation
Board Chairman

During the convention, we would not of course be able to take delegates to all the important landmarks,  but those who make private arrangements will get to see a lot.

The convention will start on Friday August 30th with the Federation Board Meeting to be chaired by Abu Bhonapha, the Chairman Board of Directors Tegloma Federation. After the board meeting there will be an evening session involving the  welcoming delegates and the customary financial greeting of hosts, as dictated by Sierra Leone cultural norms. Members will have the opportunity to meet, mingle and greet. There will be a music session till midnight.

Tegloma Fed. Executive Chair
Alfred Moi Jamiru

Saturday August 31st will be the Main Convention that will run for the better part of the day. It will be chaired by Alfred Moi Jamiru, the Tegloma Administration Chairman.

Chief Lamin Jabbie
Head of Transportation Committee

Following the convention on Saturday night will be the Grand Tegloma Ball and Cultural Extravaganza which will showcase the unique cultural heritage of Sierra Leone. There will be a parade of traditional masquerades and dancers from Sierra Leone.

Sunday will be the big day for elections to determine the Tegloma administration leadership for the next two years. This year it is a two horse race between Mr. Mustapha Sheriff, a Chicago based Accountant who has held several prominent roles in the Federation and Mrs Julia Hawa Conteh, an educationist, community organizer and social scientist who is the outgoing head of Tegloma New York/ New Jersey Chapter. Opinion polls show no clear front runner,  and the election is bound to be spectacular,  dramatic and tense.

Aloysious Momoh Foday
Tegloma Federation Ex-Chairman

The election will be followed by a picnic barbecue that will be presided over by Mr. Add captionHassan Henrickson Kamara, the President of Tegloma Minnesota Chapter. The convention decoration will be done by Fairfax Decor, an event decorating business started by a Sierra Leone family in Farmington,  Minnesota.

Tegloma, founded in 1975 in Washington DC, is the largest Sierra Leone cultural and philanthropic organization in the diaspora.  It is comprised of 24 chapters in USA,  Sierra Leone, Canada,  UK and the Gambia and is managed by a Federation executive consisting of the administration and the federation Board.

Tegloma Culture Show Texas

Members of Tegloma Minnesota Chapter are excited to host members of the Tegloma Federation.

By Sheku Sheriff
-Chairman Media Committee
2013 Tegloma Convention.
-Board Member Tegloma Minnesota
-Board Secretary General,  Tegloma Federation.

Tegloma Minnesota Barbecue