The Sierra Leone Telegraph: 26 April 2013
Dennis Kabatto
Reigning Miss Sierra Leone USA 2013 – Ruby B. Johnson leaves the United States of America Thursday to take part in Saturday’s independence ceremony.
While in Sierra Leone she will visit school girls at all levels in order to promote her platform SHERO (Service, Health, Education, Rights, Opportunities) and will meet with Government dignitaries in Freetown.
Ms Johnson, 23, is currently studying Mining and Minerals Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Virginia, USA, said her goal for Sierra Leone homecoming trip is to visit schools and universities and “speak with students, especially girls/women.”
“I would like to have a workshop and talk to women about several topics such as the importance of education, health, self-esteem/body image, leadership, Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields”, said Ruby.
Ms Johnson also said she would be engaged in feminist activism and advocacy for the recruitment and retention of girls and women in the STEM fields.
During her Fall Field Internship in South Carolina, Ms Johnson “was busy switching between a hard hat and a shiny Miss Sierra Leone USA crown”.
She flew back and forth from South Carolina to Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia respectively on many weekends to participate in Sierra Leonean and other community events.
As an ambassador for peace and empowerment for Sierra Leonean girls, women, youth, and the general community in the United States, Ms Johnson started her non-profit organization – When You Believe Foundation (WYBF), Inc., in November 2010.
The project involves community outreach, raising awareness, providing assistance, enhancing the lifestyle, promoting self-sufficiency and empowering girls and women in local communities.
Ruby hopes to utilize WYBF’s resources while in Sierra Leone to the utmost capacity. She returns to the USA on May 13, 2013.
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