Congratulations to Dr. Francis Amara
By Maurice Kamara, Winnipeg, Canada.
While good news is hard to come by these days, there are still talents and gifts amongst us to give hope. There are people amongst us that demonstrate both theoretically and practically that nothing is impossible when you dare to believe, break out of the ordinary and push your life to the limit.
This is the story of a hero, a true hero of our beloved country Sierra Leone. His name is Dr. Francis Amara (pictured). Fellow citizens I have the profound gratitude, the highest honour and the distinct pleasure to bring you news that Dr. Amara has been voted as one of the top 25 Canadian Immigrants for 2009 awards.
Yes I mean the whole of Canada. Hundreds of nominations were received and Dr. Francis Amara has been selected as a finalist by the panel of judges. This is the first Canadian National Awards Program for Immigrants-People's choice awards that recognizes people who have made a difference since they arrived in Canada. I am not fully equipped right now with the entire memoir of Dr. Francis Amara, but this is what I can tell you so far about this great and wonderful talent.
He is an Associate Professor Biochemistry and Medical Genetics. He has done extensive work both within the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Medicine, Biochemistry and Medical Genetics and the city of Winnipeg.
For the last few years he has been building support for an idea of an Inner City Science Center. Through his vision, passion and commitment driven by his perseverance, the center has been opened at Niji Mahkwa School earlier this year.
The center provides access to modern science facilities,technology and instuction. It also offers programming for students from kindergarten to university, as well as teachers, with workshops andresearch opportunities on a wide range of scientific topics.
Dr. Amara is very optimistic that university and hospital labs will soon have access to a generation of technicians and researchers who have already been trained, thanks to the center. If you want to follow more on his work on the Inner City Science Center, please see the article that is published in the Winnipeg Foundations Spring 2009 Magazine.
On behalf of my fellow Sierra Leoneans residing here in Winnipeg and beyond, i congratulate you Dr. Amara on your achievement. Rightfully so that you are a finalist of the top 25 Canadian Immigrants. You truly deserve a place in our hearts.
You are over and above the limits. You are amazing, irresistible, sensational, delightful, assiduous and a plethora of talent. But more importantly you are a philanthropist. Your actions speak volumes. We as Sierra Leoneans are proud to have you and we take our hats off to you. There is no royal road to proficiency.
Success to the top depends on the strength of purpose and the indomitable will power.your work and actions epitomize all of these.May i hasten at this juncture, to let you know we Sierra Leoneans here in Winnipeg, Canada and on my own behalf, congratulate you and wish you the best of luck in your deliberations ahead coupled with the emergence of flying colours in all your endeavours.
Dr. Amara's program website:
http://biomedicalprogram.weebly.com/index.html
Written By: Maurice Kamara,
Student, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.