By Foday Moriba Conteh
During a snap sendoff ceremony held at the Architecture Department Building at the Tree Planting Community in Freetown, the Acting Head of the Department of Architecture, Fourah Bay College, Architect Ken Ndomahina has on Saturday 6th May, 2023 intimated pressmen that Four (4) Final students of the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Fourah Bay College will depart Sierra Leone to Fez in Morocco on a 6 Weeks Scholarship Study program.
The Four final year students who will be studying in Morocco from the 7th May to 16th June 2023, according to Architect Ken Ndomahina, comprise Malinda Rosamond Deveneaux, Toluwani Mercy Jegede, Simeon Koroma and Olufemi Julian Alphonso Pratt who will undertake a research in Fez, Morocco to understand certain specific needs, challenges and opportunities.
Architect Ken Ndomahina disclosed how the course will be led by Prof. Aziza Chaouni from the Daniels School of Architecture, University of Toronto in collaboration with the School of Architecture and Industrial Design at the University of Euro Mediterranean in Fez, Morocco and Municipality of Fez.
He added that this is a first of its kind opportunity offering a summer studio set on the African continent with direct collaboration with Canadian, Moroccan and Sierra Leonean architecture students and a wide array of local stakeholders including craftsmen and craftswomen.
Architect Ken Ndomahina stated that although the Department of Architecture, FBC is only four (4) years old, it has been able to establish and foster good relationships with a number of institutions and organizations in four continents with visits to the Department on a regular basis by Professors, Architects and Engineers working with and mentoring some 150 students in the undergraduate school.
He informed all that various institutions provided financial support to the students which includes the University of Toronto wavering of the tuition fees for the 6 weeks course, the Europe Mediterranean University in Fez in Morocco providing lodging, meals and transportation, the American Institute of Architects providing the return air tickets stating that the cost for the 6 weeks study program, including return air fare tickets, is Four Thousand USA Dollars ($4,000) per student.
The Acting Head of the Department of Architecture concluded by urging the students to be Ambassadors of the Department of Architecture, the University of Sierra Leone and the country as a whole.
On his part, the Vice Chancellor of Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone, Prof. Kelleh Mansaray, expressed gratitude and appreciation to the institutions that provided financial support to the students in order for them to travel to Morocco for the 6 weeks course which he described as very important to the development of not only the pupils but the country as a whole.
He said as the Vice Chancellor of Fourah Bay College he is very pleased that 4 students are departing Sierra Leone to Fez in Morocco on a 6 Weeks Scholarship Study program.
Prof. Kelleh Mansaray said that during his tenure as the Dean of Engineering in 2017 he facilitated the establishment of the Department of Architecture at Fourah Bay College with the support of his predecessor who has already put the concept together for its establishment.
He said that during the meetings for the establishment of the department there were a lot of concerns but said he presented justifications for the establishment of the department and one of those justifications was the fact that the Government of Sierra Leone was spending 60,000 dollars yearly to train one Sierra Leonean aboard in Architecture and that training in Architecture lasts for 7 years which he said was a huge amount of money that the Government was spending.
He said since the establishment of the department they have been able to establish and foster good relationships with a number of institutions which has contributed towards its development.
One of the beneficiaries, Olufemi Julian Alphonso Pratt expressed appreciation to the Department of Architecture at Fourah Bay College for the opportunity given to them to travel to Fez in Morocco on a 6 Weeks Scholarship Study program.
He described the opportunity as very important towards equipping themselves with the requisite knowledge in Architecture, adding that as they will be studying alongside other students from different counties they will establish networks in order to learn new ideas which in return they will replicate to Sierra Leone on their return.
