EVELYN HAWA KAMARA
Candidature for SLEMSA President 2020-2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS •Key Abbreviations and Meanings •Motivation Letter •Plan of Action •Curriculum Vitae
KEY ABBREVIATIONS AND MEANINGS SLEMSA – Sierra Leone Medical Students’ Association IFMSA – International Federation of Medical Students' Associations NMO – National Member Organization EB – Executive Board OC – Organizing Committee SWG – Small Working Group TO – Team of Officials CUG – Caller User Group SIYB – Starting Your Business Training
Dear SLEMSians,
MOTIVATION LETTER
Leaders are born. I agree with this saying, but I also believe leaders are made. While growing up, I found myself playing leadership roles, taking responsibilities, organizing people and things in schools, church, at home etc. Even though all of these came effortlessly, I also try to acquire knowledge and leadership skills that have taken me through over the years. So I am both a born and made leader. I have exhibited my leadership qualities and always finding opportunities to grow.
Since I became a member of SLEMSA in 2013, I have been consistently serving the association in different capacities, as a volunteer, as an appointee and as an elected official. From serving as a volunteer on the Organizing Committee (OC) at the National General Assembly (NGA) in 2016 to be Director of Finance of the Organizing Committee of the National General Assembly in 2017, to being elected as the Treasurer of SLEMSA for the term of 2017/2018 and being the present Director of The Standing Committee on Medical Education (SCOME), I have served with diligence, integrity and lead efficiently. In all these positions, I have shown leadership acumen befitting the stature of an Association like ours, and I have been effective and accountable; I have amassed a wealth of experience in the running of SLEMSA and coupled with my experience from international events attended on behalf of the association and leadership roles in other organizations, I am motivated to take SLEMSA to a better place in the next session. My Work plan is enclosed with this document, and I believe that the rest of the leadership team and I will make an indelible impact on the association, thereby taking it to higher heights, and the reforms and policies implemented will be relevant for years to come. Sincerely Evelyn Hawa Kamara
PLAN OF ACTION 1. SLEMSA Leadership The term ‘President’ comes with as much weight and responsibilities as it does rights. It means having a strong sense of duty and the motivation to lead all the different facets and execute progress to the best of one's ability. The leadership however is not consolidated in one office but is shared to a large extent among the Executive Board, Team of Officials and every individual class in our NMO. Permit me to explain in detail how each facet will function under my tenure. Executive Board ● Ensure to maintain a cordial working environment and harmony within the EB ● Establish realistic working rules, guidelines and timelines within the EB ● Ensure EB meetings are transparent, efficient, out-come oriented, and that resulting decisions are foreseeable and reasonable. ● Ensure that there are EB contact persons to guide OCs, SWGs and Standing Committees throughout the term. ● Protect, elaborate and if needed defend the EB decisions in all circumstances Team of Officials ● Coordinate with EB 2019/2020 for procedural and logical handover process for TO ● Set an example for all TO members on good working disciplines and respect towards TO agreements and rules ● Actively support, remind and supervise the work of TO members according to the Annual Working Plan ● Guide Class Ambassadors on work ethic and effective execution of their duties in other to enhance their capacities ● Assign an EB contact person to all Standing Committees ● Support every TO member externally on their decisions and work
General Membership ● Ensure that there is adequate communication between the EB and the General Membership ● Safeguard diversity as a strength and a core motivation in SLEMSA and present this in our future strategies and respective working fields. ● Enhance capacity building efforts for all interested SLEMSIANS and try to encourage participation from the inactive ones. ● Employ systems of conflict resolution to ensure our views are always consolidated and the best produced. 2. Administration Conventionally, a large portion of the administrative responsibility rests on the President, Secretary General and Treasurer. Within SLEMSA, we have a Vice President who’s role seems invalidated by the presence of the President and a Treasurer who’s job is usually made difficult by the inactive nature of some Ambassadors Vice President ● Support the Vice President’s office by delegating responsibilities both nationally and internationally that usually rest on the President entirely ● Support the Vice President in his liaison with external partners and other IFMSA NMOs Secretary General ● Support the Secretary General to set up an active secretariat with his/her assistants and evaluation of the work done within ● Enhance our Go-green campaign by exploring more effective and eco-friendly approaches for archiving documents
Treasurer ● Assist the Treasurer in writing the annual budget proposal ● Work with the Treasurer to ensure credible bookkeeping and financial disciplines ● Support the Treasurer to explore more sponsorship and fundraising opportunities Public Relations Officer ● Support the PRO in enhanced branding and public exposure ● Explore more outreach opportunities and media engagement As President of the Association I will like to implement: ● An open door policy for all members of the EB, thereby encouraging communication and accountability ● A Caller User Group(CUG) for the EB. ● Financial transparency, with monthly income and expenditure statements ● Engagement and collaboration with other students associations within the IFMSA family and in Sierra Leone. Executive Committee Structure Review In order to build good work ethic and the spirit of cohesion within the EB, I will: ● ●
Start the new executive session with a training and orientation retreat for the EB-elect Develop a working document for the EB, with clear roles and responsibilities of the executive members to be updated as the items are being executed. It will be a daily work guide for the EB
3. Standing Committee Empowerment Our Standing Committees form the backbone of the activities of our noble Association. They represent our ideals on public health, research, human rights, medical education and reproductive health. For this reason alone they need the right amount of support and motivation to continue the good work they have been doing. This is why, by way of leadership I intend to: ● ● ● ●
Organise a training and orientation workshop for the heads of Standing Committees. Create a sponsorship package for one activity of each standing committee every quarter. Give an extra sponsorship package for the most effective standing committee based on parameters to be decided by the EB Give an award to the most active member of every standing committee based on parameters to be decided by the EB
4. Students’ Welfare At times we tend to ask ourselves, “what am I benefiting directly from the Association?”. But the real question is, “what is the Association doing to alleviate some of the concerns we face as students?”. Which is why I have a few items on the implementation agenda to make the our lives if not much but a little better as follows: ● ● ●
Engage the administration of the university to create a free or discounted healthcare rate for all students within the Association to have access to quality health at a rate that will be affordable for all. Engage in mass registration and identification of students, have an updated students membership database. “We need to know about you so we can know how to help”. Create a three-way Caller User Group (CUG) line between class ambassadors, the Executive Board and the university administration.
TIMELINE April - May ● ●
Coordinate with EB 2019/2020 for procedural and logical handover process for TO Assign an EB contact person to all Standing Committees
May – June • Training and Orientation retreat for the EB Elect and TO June – July • CUG • Registration and identification of students July – August •
Free or discounted healthcare rate for all students within the Association to have access to quality health at a rate that will be affordable for all.
September – October • NGA Preparations
CURRICULUM VITAE Evelyn Hawa Kamara Address: 1 Edward Lane, Campbell Street. Email: lynkay94@gmail.com | Telephone: +23277610598 PERSONAL STATEMENT An organised, driven, hardworking A-level student with an excellent educational record, passion for health and wellbeing and extensive experience in hospital settings. Has extensive knowledge of the human body and medical solutions through extra-curricular study. A highly approachable, positive individual with good people skills as well as the ability to lead, make critical decisions and work to deadlines. Seeking to pursue every avenue to achieve a career in medicine. EDUCATION 2006 – 2013 Lebanese International School A Levels 2013 – Present College of Medcine and Allied Health Sciences Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery WORK EXPERIENCE Experience 2012 – 2013 Secretary General, Lebanese International School students’ union 2014 – President CO-founder | Admin & Finance Officer, Heaven seekers youth foundation 2016 OC VOLUNTEER, Sierra Leone medical students Association NGA 2016 – 2017 Coordinator, friends of nature COMAHS – Kossoh town campus 2017 OC Finance Director, Sierra Leone medical students’ association NGA 2017 – 2018 Treasurer, Sierra Leone medical students’ association
2018 – 2019 Minister of health and sanitation, national union of Koinadugu and Falaba students 2018 – 2019 Vice President, National Union of Koinadugu and Falaba students(COMAHS) 2019 Volunteer, Thinking Pink Breast Cancer Foundation 2019 – present Minister of Gender and children’s’ Affairs, National Union of Koinadugu and Falaba students 2019 – present President, National Union of Koinadugu and Falaba students(COMAHS) 2019 – present Acting coordinator, Students Association for Mental Health SL 2019 – 2020 OC Social Events and Post Arm, Africa regional meeting – SLEMSA 2020 2019 – Present Director, Standing Committee On Medical Education 2020 Volunteer, Thinking Pink Breast Cancer Foundation PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ●Emergency First Aid at Work ●SIYB training for SMEs and Business support organization in Sierra Leone ●Capacity Building Workshop and launch of Epidemiology network on drug use in Sierra Leone ADDITIONAL SKILLS •Good team worker •Exemplary leader •Good communications skills •Good organising skills INTERESTS Sports: Hiking Traveling Entrepreneurship REFERENCES ON REQUEST