Travel Information For Tegloma Convention Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

For those Tegloma members, friends and others who are planning to travel to the Tegloma International Convention in Minnesota , the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, over the Labor Day weekend from August 30 to September 2nd 2013, The Tegloma Minnesota Chapter is working hard to make your trip and accommodation very easy and pleasant.

Convention Center-East Side Neighborhood Services
Minneapolis

For those of you intending to fly, it is very inportant that you only buy tickets for The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP). Any other airport wil be too far away and we would not be able to collect you. When you buy your air tickets, please post your itinerary on the Tegloma E-Group for us to forward to the Transportation Committee.

Some Tegloma Minnesota Members

It is also very important that your return ticket should not be for the morning of Sunday September 1st, as the Tegloma Executive Elections will be held on that Sunday morning and may extend into the afternoon, There shall be no Saturday voting and no voting by mail. Voters have to be physically present at The East Side Neghborhood Services in Minneapolis, the venue of the Convention.

Cross Section of Tegloma Minnesota
Membership

All the convention hotels are at discounted prices for convention delegates and the following three hotels have been contacted. Please call now to book your reservation. Please note the cut off dates and Group Reservation information to get the applicable discounts. If you book late, you will pay the regular Hotel rates. There is also a Hilton Hotel close by for those who want to live super class.

Delegates coming from Africa will be accommodated by Tegloma Members for the duration of the Convention.



HOTEL NUMBER 1.  

AmericInn and Suites
Brooklyn Center

AmericInn Suite Brooklyn Center

                      AmericInn Lodge and Suites 
ADDRESS:                                        2050 Freeway Boulevard
                                                          Brooklyn Center, MN 55430
CONTACT NAME:                           Brittany Chepa
PHONE:                                           (763) 566-7500
FAX:                                                 (763) 566-0076
COST PER NIGHT: SINGLE BED:  $67.00 + Tax        
                                DOUBLE: BED: $69.00 + Tax
BREAKFAST:                                   Yes  
MICROWAVE:                                Yes
FRIDGE:                                           Yes
IRON AND BOARD:                       Yes
WIFI:                                                Yes
OTHER:                                           Indoor Swimming pool    
RESERVATION CUT OFF:             July 29th, 2013
GROUP NAME:                              Tegloma Re-Union



HOTEL NUMBER 2    

Super 8 Brooklyn Center

Super 8 Brooklyn Center

                  Super 8
ADDRESS:                                       6445 James Circle North  
                                                          Brooklyn Center, MN 55430
CONTACT NAME:                           Faizan
PHONE:                                           (763) 566-9810
FAX:                                                 (763) 566-8680
COST PER NIGHT: SINGLE BED:  $59.99 + Tax        
                                DOUBLE: BED: $69.99 + Tax
BREAKFAST:                                   Yes  
MICROWAVE:                                In Lobby only
FRIDGE:                                           Per request
IRON AND BOARD:                       Per request
WIFI:                                                Per request
OTHER:                                           N/A    
RESERVATION CUT OFF:             July 29th, 2013  
GROUP NAME:                              Tegloma Re-Union

Note: Requested items cost $5.00 each per night, but will be free for Tegloma guest.


HOTEL NUMBER 3              

Days Inn Brooklyn Center

Days Inn Brooklyn Center

Days Inn Brooklyn Center

 Days Inn 
ADDRESS:                                        6415 James Circle North
                                                          Brooklyn Center, MN 55430
CONTACT NAME:                           Sam T
PHONE:                                           (763) 561-8400
FAX:                                                 (763) 560-3189
COST PER NIGHT: SINGLE BED:  $49.90 + Tax        
                                DOUBLE: BED: $54.90 + Tax
BREAKFAST:                                   Yes  
MICROWAVE:                                Some rooms
FRIDGE:                                           Yes
IRON AND BOARD:                       Deposit on rental
WIFI:                                                Yes
OTHER:                                           N/A  
RESERVATION CUT OFF:             July 29th, 2013
GROUP NAME:                              Tegloma Re-Union

Meet the 2013 Minnesota Tegloma Convention Hosts

Hassan H Kamara
Tegloma Minnesota President

All roads lead to the beautiful city of Minneapolis at the end of August for the Tegloma international Convention. Tegloma Minnesota Chapter, under the able leadership of Hassan Henrickson Kamara is a relatively new comer to the Tegloma Federation, but has grown to become one if the more formidable chapters of the organization.

Started approximately 13 years ago by Mr. Abdul Songa and a group of pioneers during the tenure of popular ex-federation Chairman Dr. Lansana Nyallay, Tegloma Minnesota has made immense contributions to the federation and its influence can be seen from the fact that the current Vice Chairman of the Federation Mrs. Rebecca Johnson, the current Federation Board Secretary General Sheku Sheriff, the current President of the Tegloma Midwest Coalition Joshua Joshua Murray and the incoming federation assistant financial Secretary Theresa French Kebbie are all members of the Tegloma Minnesota Chapter.

Alice Karpeh
Tegloma Minnesota President

Tegloma is a formidable member of the Sierra Leone Community in Minnesota (SLCM) a group comprised of different Sierra Leone organizations working together to promote unity among Sierra Leomeans in the diaspora. SLCM under the leadership of Dr. Jonathan Rose is a collaborative effort by Sierra Leoneans to address national issues as one and promote cross cultural understanding.

Tegloma Minnesota Chapter provides many services to its members. In times of bereavement members of Tegloma Minnesota members provide emotional and financial support to each other and help organize social activities such as weddings, graduations, showers, etc. Tegloma members also look for job opportunities and help each other to develop job networks. When a member of Tegloma is moving, other members usually join them to assist with the tough process of moving and thus prevents them from hiring movers.

Safia Kamara
Tegloma Minnesota First Lady

Members also rally round each other during times of illness or when individual members are facing legal problems and help in mediating disputes amongst members. All members of Tegloma Minnesota Chapter have automatic life insurance through the organization, six months after attaining membership. 

In 2010 Tegloma Minnesota Chapter received an award from the US Census Bureau for the active participation of its members in promoting and conducting the census. In 2011 Tegloma Minnesota Chapter developed a subsidiary called the Tegloma Minnesota Aid Project (TEMAP) devoted entirely to the conduct of small scale humanitarian projects in Sierra Leone. That same year a raffle was drawn on the home town of its members and a member Isha Amara Wonnie won for Bandajuma Sowa. TEMAP collected and shipped $8000.00 worth of school supplies including books, school bags ans stationary and delivered them to a promary school in Bandajuma Sowa.Tegloma Minnesota Chapter is open to all Sierra Leoneans and non Sierra Leoneans interested in the country. 

Paul Mbemeh
Tegloma Minnesota Sec. Gen

In 2012, Tegloma Minnesota Chapter put together a bid committee made up of Rebecca Johnson, Hindolo Pokawa and Rebecca Johnson to bid as a host for the 2013 Annual Convention. After a spirited bid process the Tegloma Federation awarded Minnesota Chapter the honor of hosting the convention, much to the joy of its members.

The president of Tegloma Minnesota Chapter Hassan Kamara is currently working with the membership to host the best convention in the history of Tegloma and has already set up committees that are hard at work.The convention will be a three day affair starting on Friday August 30, 2013 and ending with federation elections on Sunday September 1st. The convention will be held at the East Side Neighborhood Services Center in Minneapolis and Guests will be accommodated in a group of hotels all just within three minutes of each other.

Marion Bao
Tegloma Minnesota Asst Sec Gen

Tegloma Minnesota is finalizing plans to televise the event and make it into a Sierra Leone cultural extravaganza. Mr. Raymond Kamara a cultural ambassador from Sierra Leone that has in the past represented the country in international cultural competitions will be in charge of the cultural events.

The Vice President of Tegloma Minnesota Chapter Mrs. Alice Karpeh is also the founder of Rural Health Care Initiative (RHCI) a Minnesota Based nonprofit that that intends to build a modern health care clinic and provide mobile medical clinic in the Tikonko area of Northern Sierra Leone. The second RHCI team led by Alice Karpeh just returned from Sierra Leone. On the first RHCI trip to Sierra Leone, they were able to meet with the country's First Lady Madam Sia Koroma, herself an individual who is a champion of healthcare improvement in Sierra Leone. RHCI will focus on maternal and pediatric care and the training of health care personnel. RHCI will also undertake agricultural and food processing projects to support the healthcare services.

Ann Marie Lamin
Social Secretary

The Tegloma Minnesota executive comprises:

Hassan Kamara-President

Alice Karpeh-Vice President

Paul Mbemeh-Secretary General

Marion Bao-Asst Secretary General

Ann Marie Lamin-Social Secretary

Ibrahim Sesay-Whip

Theresa French Kebbie-Financial Secretary

The Tegloma Minnesota Board of Directors include

Sheku Sheriff

Elizabeth Amie Saidu Momoh

Theresa French Kebbie
Financial Secretary

Delegates to the convention are encouraged to start buying Airline tickets and booking hotels at this time. The hotel information will be furnished before the end of the week.

Elizabeth Amie Saidu Momoh
Board Member

Sheku Sheriff
Board Member

Tegloma Minnesota Meeting

Minnesota Getting Ready to Host Tegloma on Labor Day Weekend

Tegloma Leaders In front of Medical
Container bound for Sierra Leone

Tegloma Indiana Members loading
Medical Container for Sierra Leone

After a spectacular mini-convention over the weekend in Saint Louis Missouri, the members of Tegloma Federation, the largest Sierra Leone organization in the diaspora with 24 chapters in 5 countries around the globe, are getting ready to fly in to Minneapolis, Minnesota for the main International Convention on Labor Day weekend starting Friday August 30th 2013 to Sunday September 2nd 2013.

Tegloma was founded by Sierra Leoneans of southeastern origin in 1975 in Washington DC as a cultural and self help organization. The founders of Tegloma wanted an organization that would unite south-easterners and help promote cooperation and cultural awareness among the group. Over the years Tegloma grew in membership and strength and the succeeding leaders decided to open the organization to all Sierra Leoneans who needed assistance and who needed to feel at home away from home. Today, Tegloma has Sierra Leonean members from all across the country, though the majority of the membership is still from the southeast.

Hospital Mattresses for Sierra Leone

Tegloma Indiana Chief and Medical Supplies
Coordinator Moses Baryoh

Tegloma is currently a federation of  24 chapters with many members of non-Sierra Leonean origin. The organization has over the years become a tax exempt philanthropic organization that has undertaken many humanitarian ventures in Sierra Leone. During and after the war Tegloma shipped supplies of rice to be distributed in Sierra Leone and is currently providing scholarships to 41 students around the country. In 2011  Tegloma shipped over $40,000.00 worth of medical supplies that were distributed to the Moyamba and Kenema hospitals. The supplies included beds, mattresses, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuff and many other assorted medical supplies.

Medical Beds for Sierra Leone

Tegloma has collected more medical supplies that are currently in storage and is getting ready to send another major shipment to Sierra Leone after the Minnesota Convention if the new executive approves. Over the past few years, Tegloma was able to acquire 5 acres of prime land in Bo, Sierra Leone and members are currently debating the projects to undertake on the land, with ideas ranging from the construction of a multipurpose complex to a skills training center. The Minnesota Convention will concentrate on electing the new leaders of the organization and streamlining philanthropic projects to  achieve greater impact in the lives of poor communities back in Sierra Leone.

Candidate Mustapha Sheriff

Candidate Julia Hawa Conteh

Membership in Tegloma is also very beneficial to members in the diaspora. Tegloma members rally round each other in times of grief and sorrow. Tegloma helps it members to arrange and celebrate weddings and baby showers. They also come together during periods of illness and bereavement, ensuring that things are done following cultural protocols. Tegloma also helps Sierra Leone children born in the diaspora to be aware of their cultural heritage. Some Tegloma Chapters such as Minnesota also provide life insurance and immigration assistance to their members.

Mrs Julia Hawa Conteh

Conteh, Turay and Sheriff

On Sunday September 1st 2013, Tegloma Federation will be electing a brand new executive to lead the organization for the next 2 years. The current leadership contenders are Mustapha Sheriff, former Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors from Tegloma Chicago Chapter and Mrs Julia Hawa Conteh, outgoing President of Tegloma New York, both veteran Tegloma members with outstanding leadership qualities.

Commissioner Tarmoh
President Tegloma Washington

The electoral commissioners for the Tegloma Federation elections are Sheku Sheriff, Angela Bhonapha, Josephine Ladipo and Victor Tarmoh.

 Commissioner Sheriff
Board Secretary General

Commissioner Ladipo
President Tegloma Dallas

Commissioner Mrs. Bhonapha
First Lady Federation Board

www.tegloma.ning.com

A Spectacular Tegloma Convention

Tegloma Missouri President
Gerald Brewah

The 2013 Tegloma Mini-Convention held this year in Saint Louis, Missouri will be a tough one to beat. Tegloma Missouri Chapter is the penultimate member of the Tegloma Federation, having being inaugurated as a chapter barely three years ago. So when they volunteered to host the Tegloma International Mini-Convention; congregate, lodge and feed members of Tegloma world wide, consisting of 24 chapters in USA, UK, Canada, Gambia and Sierra Leone, many members of the Tegloma federation were skeptical about their ability to successfully conduct the event, but they did it and in doing so they exceeded all expectations by far.

Tegloma Missouri Chapter under the leadership of Chapter Chief Gerald Brewah from Sierra Leone and Chapter Board Chairman Rev. Dr. John Loum from the Gambia with immense assistance from the members of their chapter manifested to the whole world that organizational membership is not about quantity, but essentially about quality.

Key Note Speaker Professor
Martin Niboh

From the moment we entered Missouri driving for 9 hours straight over the 561 miles from Minneapolis to Saint Louis with 4 members of our 15 member Minnesota delegation, we received the best hospitality that I have ever experienced in a Tegloma event, bar none. There was a party to welcome us both at the welcome center and at the hotel.

At the hotel was waiting some of the freshest and best Sierra Leone "Tolla" I have tasted for a very long time.

Reading Declaration of Tegloma Day sent
by Saint Louis, Missouri Mayor

We arrived in Saint Louis at 3.30pm and as we had a board meeting on the same day at 5.00pm,  I rushed to the Board Chairman Abu Bhonapha and his wife Angela and we proceeded to complete our arrangements and get our meeting supplies, as I am the Board Secretary General of the Tegloma International Federation. We rushed straight to the meeting hall at Timothy Lutheran Church Saint Louis that was already decorated and ready for the board meeting. There was already enough Sierra Leonean food in the hall to feed a battalion of hungry refugees.

Federation Secretary General
Jeneba Bangura

The Board meeting may have started on Sierra Leone time, due to the late arrival of some delegates whose flights were not on schedule, but once it got underway the meeting was very constructive. The theme was how to make the organization more cost effective, how to expand the fundraising base, and how to more effectively conduct and communicate the philanthropic activities of the organization in Sierra Leone and the Diaspora. Rev. John Loum, the Head of the fundraising committee discussed the ways in which his committee was utilizing the talents of fundraising experts to increase the financial base of Tegloma. Sheila, a member of the fundraising committee with extensive experience in nonprofit fundraising addressed the meeting on streamlining fundraising activities.

The Board Secretary General Sheku M.M.A.U.Y. Sheriff as Chairman of the Constitution Committee discussed ways in which the constitution was being reviewed to make Tegloma more inclusive and diverse and also reflect the fact that it was now a registered tax exempt nonprofit and therefore had to bring its operations in line with the laws governing nonprofit operations in the United States. Sheku also briefed the delegates on the ideas of the Land Committee led by Cillaty Daboh which was charged with brainstorming ideas on how to effectively utilize the 5 acres of Tegloma real estate in Bo Sierra Leone. Many other items were discussed in the board meeting.

Federation  Board Chairman
Abu Bhonopha

Administration Executive

Saturday was the main convention conducted by Tegloma Administration Chairman Alfred Jamiru and Secretary General Jeneba Bangura. The Key Note Speaker was Professor Martin Niboh from Cameroon who is the founder, President and volunteer of the Torchbearer Foundation for Missions, Reconciliation and development, ( http://www.thetorchbearer.org ) a faith based nonprofit that aims to use Christian philanthropic principles to achieve social and economic transformation in Africa. The Theme of the Key note address was "Cultural Awareness in a Diverse Community." Professor Niboh encouraged Tegloma members to encourage diversity and to focus on effecting positive and lasting change within African communities. He stressed that though some people may have negative opinions about Tegloma, but it was the good works of the organization that would ultimately bring people around. He enocouraged unity among Tegloma members stating that crocodiles never attacks people travelling in groups. He ended his keynote address with the following wise statement, "if you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. There were many other discussions during the day long meeting which I won't delve into.

Cross Section of Delegates

The meeting ended with the declaration of candidates for federation elections to be held on Labor Day weekend in Minneapolis Minnesota. Andrew Banya of Tegloma Chicago and Patrick Gbaya of Tegloma Dallas will contest for the position of Assistant Secretary General. The big battle for Federation Chairman will be a tense affair between Mustapha Sheriff, former President of the Chicago Chapter and Mrs. Julia Hawa Conteh, outgoing President of Tegloma New York New Jersey. Amos Allie of Tegloma Indiana was the lone candidate for Federation Secretary General, Theresa Kebbie of Tegloma Minnesota for Asst Financial Secretary, Deborah Bockarie of Tegloma Northern Carolina for Treasurer.

Minnesota Delegates

The day ended with a $30.00 per ticket ball that was well attended  and full of Sierra Leone and Liberian cultural displays.

Mrs Deborah Bockarie Incoming Treasurer

Mariama Bhonapha Incoming Soc Secretary

More Culture

Money Team Dauda and Myambe

Incoming Vice Chair Eddie Williams

Federation Chair Candidate
Mustapha Sheriff

Federation Chair Candidate Julia Hawa Conteh

Incoming Sec Gen Amos Allie

Incoming Asst. Fin. Sec Theresa Kebbie

Asst Sec Gen Candidate Andrew Banya

Tegloma New York/New Jersey

Asst Sec Gen Candidate Patrick Gbaya

Sheku Sheriff 9 Hour Drive

Cultural Display