HABIBA COOPER DIALLO
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HABIBA COOPER DIALLO
FISTULA ADVOCATE. WRITER. SPEAKER

Guineans succeeding in america 3rd annual conference

1/26/2019

2 Comments

 
By: Habiba Cooper Diallo
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With Abdourahamane, GSA founder and outgoing president (left) and Abdoulaye Pathe, GSA Exec member (right)
​NEW YORK, On September 28th and 29th, I was in New York to attend the Guineans Succeeding in America (GSA), formerly known as the Guinean Students Association, 3rd Annual Conference. GSA’s objective is to empower the Guinean-American community through education and professional development. 

The two-day event attracted students and professionals from all across the U.S., including Alaska, in addition to attendees from Canada, such as myself. The conference kicked off with a lovely gala dinner at Baruch College, during which presentations were delivered by members of GSA’s executive committee. Topics ranged from the need to increase entrepreneurship among Guinean youth, to facilitating the transition of Guinean professionals abroad into the Guinean workforce. Committee members shared personal stories of their journey to success and the challenges they have had to overcome along the way. Bernadette Sylla gave an overview of GSA’s organizational structure, objectives, and current projects.
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Committee members
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Gandhi Diallo
​Very compelling was the closing speech of Abdourahamane Diallo, GSA founder and outgoing president. He spoke vividly of the challenges facing new immigrants in accessing the American educational system. He also noted the importance of having information to guide entry into higher-education. Diallo stressed education as the key to social, economic and infrastructural development in Guinea. He explained that wealth is not determined by the amount of natural resources a country has, but rather by the mindset of its people. ​In addition to presentations from GSA committee members, we were also graced by encouraging words from guest speakers including, Amadou Thierno Diallo of the Islamic Development Bank.
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Left to right: Tijan, Foutamata, Habiba
In the afternoon of the following day, nearly 700 students, professionals and Guinean community members gathered at The City College of New York for the main event. Highlights included the “Uniforms Panel,” moderated by Mamata Bah in which she addressed the role of women in the Guinean community. Daouda Diallo urged women to go to school and to go as far as attaining their PhDs. He cited the mutual benefits for both husband and wife if the woman is educated. Another key takeaway came from Ibrahima Bah, a Design Release Engineer, who highlighted the value of positive self-talk, especially before job interviews or any major event. He recommended standing before the mirror and uttering phrases of upliftment to ourselves, similar to what the likes of Deepak Chopra advise their followers. 
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Student Panel moderated by Mariam Barrie
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Tijan gets his copy of Yeshialem Learns About Fistula
​Finally, a most poignant moment of the conference for me was the testimony of Ms. Jamilatu Diallo, a blind community member who detailed the struggles she had to overcome to obtain her degree in Psychology. Some of her key points: Making a contribution to society is essential. Also, in the pursuit of education, we should not put obstacles in our way. Obtaining a degree can be simple. One can be a full-time student, a part-time student, or even take one class at a time in order to reach the end goal. I appreciate that she linked the importance of education to religion. The Qur’an says “iqraa,” meaning read and learning therefore is an obligation for Muslims.
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Ms. Jamilatu Diallo
I am pleased to have attended the 3rd Annual Guineans Succeeding in America conference. I was truly impressed by the committee’s high-level of organization. Their success is a testament to what can be achieved when great minds unite to achieve a shared objective. Congratulations to all the committee members on this major accomplishment. 
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GSA Executive Committee members
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GSA Executive Committee members
2 Comments
Bah Thierno Abdoul link
1/7/2020 04:42:33 am

Bonjour chers compatriotes Guinéens

Je suis Thierno Abdoul BAH résident à Conakry, Directeur Exécutif du Bureau National du Parlement des Jeunes Leaders de la Société Civile Guinéenne (PAJELESCG).

C'est avec plaisir que je vous écris cette présente pour vous manifester ma joie pour vos multiples efforts de représentation de notre cher Guinée au grand concert des jeunes du monde entier.
J'ai eu votre connaissance à travers le rapport de ECOSOC ONU relatifs aux organisations des jeunes ayant pris part au FORUM DES JEUNES DE ECOSOC tenu à NEW-YORK en avril 2019.

Je suis plus que fier de cet acte qui restaure davantage l'image de la jeunesse Guinéenne.

C'est ainsi pour vous signifier ma disponibilité et celle de l'organisation que je dirige à discuter avec vous pour définir ensemble des axes de coopération gagnante en faveur de notre chère pays la Guinée.

Dans l'attente d'un rapide retour de votre part, veuillez agréer, chers compatriotes l'expression de ma profonde considération.


L'intéressé:

Thierno Abdoul BAH,

Directeur Exécutif du Bureau National du Parlement des Jeunes Leaders de la Société Civile Guinéenne (PAJELESCG) https://www.facebook.com/pajelescgn/

Tel: +224 620 780 951

Email: Thiernoabdoulb@gmail.com

Reply
ADMIN
1/15/2020 04:52:24 pm

Merci de votre commentaire M. Bah. Je vous prie de contacter l'ONG a travers leur page Facebook ou par courriel:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Guineans-Succeeding-in-America-1907590482643952/about/?ref=page_internal

Courriel- gsausa224@gmail.com

Bonne journee

Reply



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    Habiba Cooper Diallo

    I am a Canadian end fistula advocate and blogger, and the founder of the Women’s Health Organization International, WHOI. I have been doing fistula awareness-building in Canada for the past 12 years. My work on fistula has led me to Ghana, Senegal, Guinea, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone. I have been featured in Forbes, the HuffPost, and UNFPA
    Get in touch here

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  • Home
  • Who Am I?
    • Bio
    • My Journey
    • Features
    • Awards and Recognitions
  • Anafghat's Story
  • Fistula
    • What is Obstetric Fistula
    • Fistula Fact Fridays
    • Presentations
  • Books
    • #BLACKINSCHOOL
    • Yeshialem Learns About Fistula
  • WHOI
  • CONTACT
  • Product