The phrase “stole the show” might sound misplaced here. Because when you take what you unquestionably deserve, it isn’t stealing. It’s owning.
Bo School Boys are known to be fiercely competitive in their pursuit of fame and glory. So it might sting a little for them to hear that a lady outshone them — and at their very own event. Pretty unusual.
But that was exactly what happened on the evening of Saturday, 12th July 2025.
Though, to be fair, nothing about an OBBA gathering could ever be described as “unexpected” or “unusual” — not even a lady grabbing the Bo School limelight in the golden summer glow of a South East London suburb.
The occasion was the OBBA UKI barbecue: a gathering with one clear mission — to raise funds for the solar electrification of the Bo School, one of the oldest and arguably the finest schools in West Africa. (Of course, that enviable title is still hotly contested by others, not least the Kay School in Kenema, whose proud motto meaningfully proclaims: “Either the Best or Nothing.” The academic and sporting rivalry remains as fierce and as healthy as ever.)
As such occasions demand, everyone was there — OBBA members, OBBA wives, OBBA children, OBBA sisters, and OBBA friends. Names and numbers proudly printed in gold on the backs of specially made T-shirts announced a presence rooted in loyalty, history, and deep affection for the Bo School.
And yet, in the midst of all this, there was one figure who quietly — or perhaps not so quietly — commanded the spotlight.
It wasn’t Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to the UK, 1854 Manyeh Morie Komba.
It wasn’t 3226 Sandi Nathaniel Boysoloo, Senior Manager.
It wasn’t the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, 3942 Julius Mattai, nor the indefatigable 3387 “Brain Box” Gbekie “De Devil”, or even the once upon a time Dalvajak Dancing Bo town Girls’ heartthrob, 4275 Bobby Sam.
No. The star of the evening was, without a doubt, Mrs. Marie Komba Manyeh.
Here stood a woman who, by all measures, should have been resting at home, nursing a broken arm. Yet there she was — undaunted, radiant, and inspiring — swaying gracefully to every rhythm that moved her spirit. Each step, each swing of her injured arm, spoke volumes about her strength, resilience, and unshakable devotion.
You can’t get more Bo Schoolish than Mrs. Marie Manyeh. She is at once a Bo School Wife, a Bo School Sister, and a Bo School Mother. Her connection runs deep: her husband of 45 years and counting, 1854 Manyeh Morie Komba, served as OBBA National President from 2014–2016, among many other contributions. Her two elder brothers, 1353 Shereef Alie Abass and 1812 Shereef Ishmael Abass, are both Bo School boys, with Ishmael being a classmate of her future husband all the way from Yengema Primary to Bo School.
As if that wasn’t enough, three of her children proud Bo School Boys: 5982 Manyeh Sahr Kay; 6311 Manyeh Sahr Morie;7267 Manyeh Tamba Abass.
If you were privileged to witness this remarkable woman rise above her pain, dancing with such effortless grace and infectious joy, you would have joined the crowd in applauding her spirit.
Forty-five years married to a Bo School “Boy”, being blessed with two Bo School brothers, three Bo School children, and many Bo School grandchildren lining up, Mrs. Manyeh embodies the very soul of Bo School — a legacy of resilience, unity, love, and continuity.
Last evening, as the community rallied to light up Bo School with solar energy, she reminded us what it truly means to show up — for family, for history, for something far larger than ourselves.
Stars don’t announce themselves. They simply appear, and the world cannot help but notice their glow.
What else can you call a woman who has shared her life with so many Bo School Boys across generations?
A quiet, unsung Bo School star, whose name deserves to be etched somewhere in the school’s golden colours — alongside countless others who stood tall for those who once sat still in the classrooms of merit.
@ 4640 Braima Abdulai M.