As the LIMAUK family congratulates one of its founding and hardworking members, Brother Yousuf Keita, on his graduation from the University of Bolton with BSc Honours in Internet Communication and Networks, I’ve decided to pay a further respect to the brother with a piece that puts his academic journey and achievements into context. 

“A hallmark of endurance, perseverance and hard work” is how I have and perhaps always will describe Yousuf’s academic journey and achievements so far. 

With a humble and hope-filled beginning at Muslim Congress and the Rick’s Institute in the 1980s, for the Keita family University education was a certainty and the sky was the limit for this bright and promising son of theirs.   After an interruption by the Liberian Civil War, Yousuf finally graduated from the S.D.A High School, Camp Johnson Road, Monrovia in 1992. 

While waiting excruciatingly for a chance to enrol at the University of Liberia to study Civil Engineering, he undertook introductory trainings in Computing and developed passion for computers, a passion that led him to the prestigious A.T&T – NCR Institute in Accra, Ghana where he was awarded Certificate and Diploma in Computer Programming and Data Processing respectively in 1996.

Having honed his skills in Computing he moved to Guinea in 1997 to work for the Centre Informatique De Gueckedou (C.E.F.I.G) serving as Computer skills tutor, and later in 1998 as a Data Analyst for the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ).  Under GTZ sponsorship, he came to the UK for further training and successfully completed a Computer focused Diploma course in Statistics and Health Studies at the University of London in the year 2000.  

Not long after his return to West Africa form the UK, his skills, knowledge, discipline and growing reputation within the NGO community in the Sub Region triggered the unthinkable; i.e. an agency of international repute hiring a computer specialist based and trained (mostly) in Africa to work in Europe, when he was sent back to Europe in 2001 to serve as Junior Analyst at GTZ Head Office in Frankfurt, Germany.

Yousuf is not easily swayed away from what he’s set out to do, not even by money or immediate benefits.   So in 2002 he resigned his post in Frankfurt and travelled to the UK in pursuit of a British University degree.  But the UK Residency Requirement for “Higher Education” meant that the brother had to wait 3 years to enrol at a British university in a way that was affordable; i.e. as a “Home Student”.  The wait was not in vain though as he went on to obtain Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Comptia Certified Network Professional (Network+) Certificates from IT Base, Manchester in June 2003, C++ Programming and Visual Basic Programming Certificates from Tameside College, Ashton – Under – Lyne in December 2002, and also served in reputable roles with Pennine Acute NHS Trust, Edmond Shipway Property Company, and CHEP UK Ltd among others.

It all took off in September 2005 when Yousuf enrolled at the University of Bolton on a full-time 3 year Undergraduate course in Internet Communication and Networks having relinquished a full-time job once again and braced himself for a tough life as a “self sponsored” full-time student.  The moment was June 27 2008 when he was finally awarded BSc. Honours after successfully fulfilling his course requirements.

While he waits for that foreseeable “Big Fat” job that has been delayed just a little bit by the “Credit Crunch”, Yousuf is currently practising his craft with “One Design/Oldham Online” where he’s served as Web and Database Designer since January 2008. 

If given the permission to bring private discussions into public domain, I would assure you that as far as education is concerned, this is just the beginning for Yousuf Keita.

CONGRATULATIONS BROTHER, YOU’VE DONE IT AND I’M SURE YOU CAN DO MORE SO GO ON!!!!

The writer, Abraham A. Sanoe (BA. Honours, MA) works for the Coventry City Council as a Regeneration (Local Economy Development) Practitioner. He is also the Vice President of the Liberian Mandingo Association in the UK (LIMAUK) and a very close friend of Yousuf Keita.