Former U.S. Peace Corps icon, Mr. Gary Schulze, who is now a fully naturalized citizen of Sierra Leone, yesterday Tuesday November 21, 2017 paid a historic courtesy call on Sierra Leone’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, His Excellency Ambassador Adikalie Foday Sumah, at the Mission headquarters in New York.
During the visit , Mr. Schulze, who discovered the original Photograph of Bai Bureh Kabalai of Kasseh, the Traditional Chief and Leader of the Hut Tax War against the Colonial Government of the Colony and Protectorate of Sierra Leone in 1898, promised to continue his association with Sierra Leone and committed himself ready to collaborate with the Mission in promoting the affairs of the Country in the United States.
MR. SCHULZE AND AMBASSADOR SUMAH GREETING EACH OTHER AT THE MISSION YESTERDAY
Welcoming the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) and his esteemed American guest at the Mission, Ambassador Sumah informed Mr. Schultz that he learnt about his wonderful discovery of the Bai Bureh photograph while he was serving as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the Republic of Guinea, with accreditations to the Republic of Mal and the Republic of Niger. The eloquent Envoy of His Excellency President Ernest Bai Koroma demonstrated his knowledge of the national history of Sierra Leone to Mr. Schultz by recalling the causes and the outcome of the Hut Tax Rebellion led by Bai Bureh in the Northern Hinterlands of the Protectorate of Sierra Leone and that of Amadu Jah in the South.
Ambassador Sumah concluded his welcome remarks by heartily and profoundly congratulating Mr. Schulze on his recent investiture of Sierra Leonean citizenship by H.E. President Ernest Koroma as well as his earlier honorary coronation as Paramount Chief of Kagboro Chiefdom, Shenge, Moyamba District.
In his response , Mr. Schulze expressed thanks and appreciation to Ambassador Sumah for the kind sentiments he passionately expressed in receiving him in his office. He informed the Ambassador that he had been looking forward to this meeting for a long time. He acknowledge that, due to the busy schedule of the Envoy and himself, the courtesy only materialized on this day, Tuesday 21st November 2017.
MR. SCHULZE AND AMBASSADOR SUMAH HOLDING DISCUSSIONS AT THE MISSION
Mr. Gary Schulze further expressed his profound delight and appreciation for the honour vested in him by President Ernest Bai Koroma. He will continue his association with Sierra Leone and ready to collaborate with the Mission in promoting the affairs of the Country in the United States.
The courtesy call was facilitated by Mr. Alhusine M. Sesay, the Minister Plenipotentiary and Head of Chancery of the Sierra Leone Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
Mr .Schulze went to Sierra Leone as a young Peace Corps Volunteer in 1962 and was assigned to teach history and civics at the Albert Academy in Freetown. He oce wrote in an article that : After teaching Forms I and 2 history and civics for a few months, I was asked by the Principal, the legendary Max Bailor, to introduce Sierra Leone History into the school’s curriculum for the first time. Until then, the schools in Sierra Leone taught only European and Ancient History.” That was to be one of his most memorable contributions to learning and instruction in Sierra Leone. He also served as Acting Curator of the Sierra Leone Museum.
