“Why didn’t you wish me a happy birthday?” he chided a group of students who were passing by his office.
“But, Mr Bojang, you just celebrated your birthday last week,” responded one of the students, “how many birthdays do you have? “
“Yes, I celebrated my birthday last Thursday and today is Thursday so we should celebrate again,” he responded.
That is what he always told students. Mr Karamo S Bojang, former principal of Nusrat Senior Secondary School is the one I call the Teacher par excellence. He had such a good relationship with students that teachers used to be jealous of it. Nothing, I mean absolutely nothing could remain hidden from him in the school. He had a soft spot for students such that they told him anything going on in the school. Once a student was in uniform, they became Mr Bojang’s friend.
Mr Bojang is without a shadow of a doubt the best administrator I have ever worked under. He has the ability to spot talent in someone and nurture it to reach the highest pinnacles. Mr Bojang will make everyone feel that they are the most important staff in the school. He was neither too strict nor was he lenient to an extent of being careless of the responsibility of the workers. I have seen teachers, students and even ancillary staff guided by Mr Bojang to reach their full potential.
I am speaking from personal experience when I say that Mr Bojang has a generous heart for everyone who works under or with him. When I was posted to Nusrat Senior Secondary School I was not much. Mr Bojang guided me, helped me, challenged me, advised me and propelled me to be better. I will be forever grateful to Mr KS Bojang for his role in my progress.
Once a student who observed my cordial relationship with Mr Bojang asked him whether I was related to him biologically. Mr Bojang said no as he is a Mandinka and I am Fula. The student told him that it was our close relationship that made her ask. Mr Bojang told the student that it was because of my hard work.
He noted my ability to write and urged me to write books to be used as supplementary reading material in the school. That is how I came to write my first book, The Midnight Call and the rest, as they say, is history. He told me that if I continued the hard work I would one day win an award for my writing. This gave me the confidence and courage to move on. He even told me that I would one day lead a school in this country. Both of these predictions have come to pass but the point is the courage it gave me to trudge on.
Mr Bojang loved Nusrat so much that I never thought that he would ever be able to retire and leave Nusrat Senior Secondary School. It was like Nusrat was an extension of him. It is hard to think of, or talk about Nusrat without Mr Bojang’s name surfacing. I know that I am just one of the thousands of lives he has touched positively. He has served this country with such distinction that his name will forever remain in the circles of education for eternity.
I salute you Mr Bojang! I will forever remain grateful to you.
