Hannah Benka-Coker

Hannah Benka-Coker
Hannah Benka-Coker
Born	Hannah Luke; 1903; British Sierra Leone
Died	17 June 1952
Alma mater	Portway Institute in England
Occupation	;
Known for	A founder of the Freetown Secondary School for Girls

Hannah Benka-Coker, MBE, née Luke (1903 – 17 June 1952)^[1] was an educator from Sierra Leone. She is one of the founders of the Freetown Secondary School for Girls (FSSG) which was established in 1926.

Early life and education[]

Born Hannah Luke in British Sierra Leone, she was educated at the Portway Institute in England.^[2]

Freetown Secondary School for Girls[]

She organized a group of close family members and friends to plan a school that would offer a comprehensive, world-class education program for girls.^[2] One of her friends was Maisie Osora, the British wife of a Sierra Leonean clergyman, who was a teacher at the Annie Walsh Memorial School.^[2]

On 20 January 1926, the Freetown Secondary School for Girls opened at Garrison and Gloucester Streets with a student body of twenty girls.^[2] Osora was principal and Benka-Coker was as vice-principal.^[2]

The Freetown School for Girls was the only school that had classes from Kindergarten through Secondary School.^[2]

Eventually, Hannah became the school principal.^[2] During her tenure she accepted students from all over West Africa regardless of creed or tribe.^[2] The school moved to Tower Hill in Freetown and became a boarding school.^[2] Students flocked from The Gambia, The Gold Coast and Nigeria.^[2]

In 1944, Benka-Coker was awarded an MBE for her services to education.^[3]

Marriage and family[]

She married a lawyer from the Gambia and became Hannah Benka-Coker.^[2]

Death[]

She died in June 1952,^[4] aged 49.^[5]

Legacy[]

Her contributions to the education of girls and women were lauded in Sierra Leone and internationally.^[6]

Benka-Coker has since had a statue erected in her honour.^[7]

References[]

^ "Our History" Archived 2015-12-11 at the Wayback Machine, FSSG Ex-Pupils Association UK.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k "The History of Our School". 2013-12-03. Archived from the original on 2014-12-03. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
^ Hadi Bah, "Once out of sight, Sierra Leone’s heroes, historical figures, are out of mind too", Sierra Leone 365.
^ Constance Agatha Cummings-John (1995). Memoirs of a Krio Leader. Sam Bookman for Humanities Research Centre. p. 95. ISBN 978-978-2165-51-0. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
^ "Noted African Lady Passes", Memphis World, 25 July 1952.
^ Johnson, Alex C. (8 November 2005). Mac Dixon-Fyle, Gibril Raschid Cole (ed.). New perspectives on the Sierra Leone Krio. Peter Lang. p. 271. ISBN 978-0820479378.
^ Hafkin, Nancy Jane (30 June 1976). Edna G. Bay (ed.). Women in Africa: Studies in Social and Economic Change. Stanford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 978-0804710114.

[1] "Our History" Archived 2015-12-11 at the Wayback Machine, FSSG Ex-Pupils Association UK.

[History-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k "The History of Our School". 2013-12-03. Archived from the original on 2014-12-03. Retrieved 2018-06-19.

[3] Hadi Bah, "Once out of sight, Sierra Leone’s heroes, historical figures, are out of mind too", Sierra Leone 365.

[Cummings-John1995-4] Constance Agatha Cummings-John (1995). Memoirs of a Krio Leader. Sam Bookman for Humanities Research Centre. p. 95. ISBN 978-978-2165-51-0. Retrieved 20 May 2013.

[5] "Noted African Lady Passes", Memphis World, 25 July 1952.

[Johnson-6] Johnson, Alex C. (8 November 2005). Mac Dixon-Fyle, Gibril Raschid Cole (ed.). New perspectives on the Sierra Leone Krio. Peter Lang. p. 271. ISBN 978-0820479378.

[Hafkin-7] Hafkin, Nancy Jane (30 June 1976). Edna G. Bay (ed.). Women in Africa: Studies in Social and Economic Change. Stanford University Press. p. 218. ISBN 978-0804710114.

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