Initiatives of Change - Ranya Kargbo

My experience in Caux in 1995 made me think less of myself and more about others and that you can’t just “help the world,” but you need a cause.

In 2000 I went home to Sierra Leone for the first time in 10 years. After ten years of civil war, hundreds of thousands of deaths, and more than 2 million refugees (nearly a third of the population), the war seemed to have finally ended. Sierra Leonians abroad were afraid to return, unsure what would happen. I could see the devastation, the destroyed buildings and what was left of the schools.

I went to my own secondary school in the capital, Freetown, and wanted to use the Internet. When I arrived, I didn’t see any computers, not even a fax machine! The library was completely destroyed. I went to an Internet café, which was expensive, and reasoned, “If young people here can’t use the Internet or the library, they won’t have the technical and reading skills necessary to compete in the marketplace.” What the UN calls “the forgotten generation” will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. So I decided something had to be done.

I went back to the US and studied all I could about how to start up a nonprofit organization, especially how to establish 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. The first time I applied for this I was rejected, but the IRS actually called me and said that I had a great idea and should find a law firm to sponsor me pro bono. Finally the Piper Rodnick firm offered to submit the forms for me. I got 501(c)(3) status in 2002.

Meanwhile, I was attending America University, getting a Masters of Public Administration and Nonprofit Man-agement. A lot of professors there helped me out with OFAL projects, including the website. Other professors took on OFAL projects in their classes. My family also helped me tremendously. In one year I earned my masters, worked full-time, and setup the Organization for the Advancement of Literacy (OFAL)

Our mission is “advancing literacy via technology.” We have three specific goals:

1) Set up Technology Resource Centers, including computers with internet access, FAX machines, audiovisual equipment, and scanners in every primary and secondary school in Sierra Leone. Additionally, one of our partners, Open Source Technology, will go to Sierra Leone every six months to teach technology classes, such as typing.

2) Set up outreach centers in rural areas and get teachers to teach reading, writing, spelling, and math. This is especially important to reach out to former child soldiers and prevent others from becoming them.

3) Establish weekend reading and writing camps, with essay contests, open to ages 10-21.

We are meeting sponsors now and are in the midst of raising funds. The American University Library will donate books to our resource centers. If anyone wants to help us out, please visit ofal.org.