Beresford Coker's Page

Hometown:

Freetown Sierra Leone

State:

Virginia

Country:

U.S.A

University or High School:

Keller Graduate School of Management

About Me:

Beresford Coker holds a Bsc Hons in Technical Management and is currently in graduate school pursuing MBA with a concentration in Project Management. I am also a Certify Retail Management Professional and currently work for Whole Foods Market in Bethesda, Maryland. Also a member of International Honors Society of Business Management and Administration.
I want to create increase awareness about the poverty situation in Sierra Leone West Africa and identifying potential partners to help tackle this ugly plague in our society .Non Sierra Leoneans are welcome to join my network.
Poverty is a very serious anormaly in our soceity that have not been adequately address by it's citizens. Excessive reliance on Goverment is not always the answer and will never be. It's only when citizens like us begin to think big and tackle the reality of times, then we increase the level of awareness about this ugly plague in our soceity. Men. Women, old, young, are struggling every day for survival but they never give up even at the point of death.Sierra Leonaens are courageous people and we always have hopes that things will turn around . Well whilst it's always good to hope if there are no actions taken to address the issues then nothing will get done and people will eventually take hope to the grave without realising what they've hoped for.
Education couple with good governance is the life line for economic prosperity. We need an urgent focus in the educational sector to reduce the double digit percentage of iliteracy. In Africa in general , things are more complex than they seem. Everything is intertwine therfore addressing one area can create a snowball effect.The effect might not be rapid but gradually it will take it course if enough people belive in their actions and pursue it and in this case education should be a focus.
Let me however say that without enough jobs then people might loose focus in pursuing education . The goverment has an urgent responsiblity for job creation.
Sierra Leoneans can also help create jobs by investing in the private sector with long term sustainable policies.

Website:

http://www.meagainstpoverty.org

Favorite Books about Poverty, Development, Microfinance, etc.:

Creating a world without poverty, Banker to the poor

Countries of Interest:

Sierra Leone and other African Countries

Countries Visited:

Sierra Leone, Gambia

Favorite NGOs:

Habitat for humanity, CARE, World Vision, Save the Children