Monrovia — Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity has presented leadership awards to several eminent Liberians, including the former Indian Honorary Consul General to Liberia Mr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva for their immense contributions and roles played towards the improvement of the country and its citizens.
Founded in 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha is one of the oldest collegiate fraternal organizations in the world. It Liberian Chapter was established on October 6, 1958.
The organization's objectives are defined in its mission statement which notes that: "Develops leaders, promotes brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing services and advocacy for communities."
The group bestowed honor upon Mr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva for his efforts applied towards expanding bilateral relations between Liberia and India and his unwavering contributions to humanity in the post-conflict nation at its 9th Scholarship and Awards Ball held at the Paynesville Town Hall, outside Monrovia on Friday, December 9.
Mr. Sachdeva, who is commonly known as "Jeety", Mr. Sachdeva is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jeety Trading Corporation-a premier in the sale of hardware and other construction materials, and the Jeety Rubber Liberia Limited, which is under construction in Weala, Margibi County.
In a citation, the organization recounted the plentiful contributions Mr. Sachdeva has made, and continue to make in the lives of Liberians and the society in particular.
"Mr. "Jeety" as he is locally participates in multiple social causes including the well-known weekly feeding program, at which his company serves hot meals to countless persons in central Monrovia. Thousands including visually impaired or blind, handicapped, drug addicted, homeless persons, the elderly, disadvantaged youths, and others have been fed through fed through this initiative on a weekly basis."
In 2017, Mr. Sachdeva launched his Hot Cooked Meal Feeding Initiative to help combat against the high rate of hunger in Liberia.
The program came to the lampstand and extended to the street corners, hospitals, clinics and various slums communities in Monrovia during the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus in the country.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity observed that since its inauguration, the program continues to serve between 800 to 1,000 meals daily.
According to the group, more than 1.5milllion meals have been served already.
The group further recalled that during the 2014/2015 Ebola crisis in Liberia, "Jeety", through his company provided support to Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for the construction of a Treatment Center in Virginia, Liberia.
It added that Mr. Sachdeva was also very instrumental, hardworking and benevolent when he served as the President of the Indian Community and Honorary Consul General in Liberia for several years.
"As Honorary Consul, he (Jeety) worked to expand the bilateral relations between India and Liberia culminating into a visit by the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs in 2009, then a State Visit by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to India in 2013."
The organization pointed out that Mr. Sachdeva helped to secure aid and donations from India for the public transportation sector with 70 buses, including training and spare parts, fire trucks, grants in public health, scholarships and donations of medical supplies, medical supplies and medicines during the COVID pandemic.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity also referenced the bestowing of the national honors on "Jeety" by former President Sirleaf and President George Mannneh Weah iin 2011 and 2021 respectively as Knight Grand Master and Knight Grand Master of Humane Order of African Redemption as rewards for his indelible and remarkable services and contributions to Liberia and its citizens.
"We are pleased to inform you that you have been nominated and approved by the Brotherhood to receive the prestigious Alpha Leadership Award for your ongoing work and accomplishments as a servant-leader in rendering services to others," a letter issued under the signature of the President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Liberia Chapter William K. Morris, and addressed to Mr. Sachdeva stated.
Mr. Sachdeva received the leadership award along with several eminent Liberians, including the former President of the Liberia National Red Cross Society (LNRSC) and a signatory to the 2003 Comprehensive Peace Accord, Liberian scientist Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to South Sudan and the Presiding Bishop of the Harvest Intercontinental Ministries Darlington D. Johnson.
Mother Sherman was recognized for the establishment of her Leigh Sherman Secretarial School in 1976, which later became a community college offering Associate Degrees.
In its early day, the school served as a source of referral for the government and the private sector in need of professional and well trained Administrative Assistants and Secretaries, who were well versed in administrative skills, professional etiquette and overall presentation.
Thousands of women in Liberia today attribute their early success and career opportunities to the training they received from the Leigh Sherman Secretarial School and Community College.
Mother Sherman was also one of the signatories of the Comprehensive Peace Accord that ended Liberia's civil war in 2003. She participated in the peace talks in her capacity as Vice President of the Mano River Union Women Peace Network.
She dedicated the award to all Liberian women and girls in the country.
According to her, women played a significant role towards the attainment of peace in Liberia following a period of over 14-years of civil war.
"We matched through the streets of Monrovia. We asked our men to and hide because they were in turbulent. We went out there and we took over and we match. And after that match, ECOWAS decided that we should form an organization to bring peace to Liberia."
Mother Sherman recalled that she and others spent about four months in Ghana "talking with our brothers who for some reasons were angry."
She expressed satisfaction that the interventions and struggle staged by the women to ensure peace in Liberia were successful as evidenced by the signing of the CPA.
"We signed the Peace Accord and it's because of that, we have peace today. United Nations sent for us to decorate the women of Liberia. We went and as soon we entered the hall, everybody stood up. They gave us a letter of congratulation and we still have that letter that makes us to know that the women of Liberia brought the peace that we all enjoy today."
For his part, Dr. Nyan, a well-recognized and renowned scientist, inventor and infectious disease expert, and social activist with extension experience in biomedical and scientific research, received the accolade for inventing "an affordable rapid multiplex diagnosis test that detects Ebola, HIV, ZIKA, SARS, Plasmodium (Malaria), Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, Hepatitis B, C, E, and the West Nile Virus, that can produce simultaneous results in 10-40 minutes.
The organization recalled that his innovative rapid test can be used for early diagnosis and infectious disease surveillance in an epidemiological situation.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity recalled how Dr. Nyan testified before the United States Congress on matters of global health affiliations and several others, including the National Institute of Health (NIH) at the US Department of Health and Human Services, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), University of Pennsylvania School of Medicines, University of Liberia, and the Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany.
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Speaking shortly after receiving the award, Dr. Nyan observed that Liberia remains faced with numerous challenges.
He further vowed to continue to advocate for social justice and peace in Liberia and across the African continent.
He further commended the organizers for the award.
As for Madam Beysolow-Nyanti, the group disclosed that, she remains the highest-ranking Liberia working for the United Nations presently with the rank as an Assistant Secretary General. She joined the UN in 2003 and previously worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a
National Officer.
As a development practitioner known for building systems and supporting systems strengthening for national and subnational governments, her tours of duty have also included senior level postings in Nigeria, Nepal, Gambia, Yemen, Jordan and Namibia.
Madam Beysolow-Nyanti, who is an ordained Minister of the Zion Grove Baptist Church in Brewerville, outside Monrovia, also held senior level managerial positions at the ministry of Health in Liberia 1999-2003. She started the Global Fund for AIDS, TB, Malaria Control in Liberia with the penning of the first awarded proposal for Liberia; and setting up the PMU to manage the grants.
She said as a "transformational leader", she will continue to make impact not only in Liberia, but other parts of the world.
She expressed optimism with prayers that Liberia and its citizens will not endure the high level of sufferings citizens are battling in other countries around the world.
