Shirley Gbujama

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Madam Shirley Yema Gbujama (born 1936, as Shirley Macaulay) is a Sierra Leonean politician who served in a number of cabinet positions, including Minister for Foreign Affairs, , , and . She was one of the most respected and longest-serving cabinet ministers in President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah's government. Gbujama belongs to the Mende ethnic group.

Early life and career[]

Gbujama was born in 1936 as Shirley Macaulay, in Kent,[1] a coastal fishing village around the peninsular in the Western Area Rural District of British Sierra Leone.[2] Her father was (ca. 1904 – 1986), a teacher, local politician, and later a justice of the peace.[1] Her mother was Violet Keitel, a Methodist Mission School teacher from the Bonthe District.[1] Her parents named her, their eldest daughter, after American actress Shirley Temple, a child star of the day.[1]

Gbujama started her career as a school teacher in mathematics, in 1959.[3][self-published source] She then moved to New York City, in the United States, to pursue a Master of Arts degree in mathematics, graduating in 1964.[3] She also worked as a Christian preacher.[4]

Diplomatic and political career[]

Gbujama was appointed as Sierra Leone's ambassador to Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia, presenting her credentials to Haile Selassie in Addis Ababa,[5] and serving in that position from 1972 to 1976.[3] She then moved back to New York City, where she served as the country's ambassador to the United Nations until 1978.[3]

In 1996, Shirley Gbujama had a short stint as Minister of Tourism, before moving to the prestigious post of in Ahmad Tejan Kabbah's government, succeeding Maigore Kallon.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Gbujama. "The Brief History of F.S. Macaulay (Circa. 1904 to 1986)". Geocities. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  2. ^ "Kent, Sierra Leone: Who we are". ecasalone.com. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d Gerdes, Paulus (2007). African Doctorates in Mathematics: A Catalogue. lulu.com. p. 372. ISBN 9781430318675.
  4. ^ a b Fyle, Hilton (2000). Sierra Leone: The Fighter from Death Row. Universal Publishers. p. 59. ISBN 9781581127164.
  5. ^ "Artifacts". The Sierra Leone Web.
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