On Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, guest speaker Dominique Yambasu presented his life journey to Lake Oswego High School students during the half-hour support seminar in the auditorium. Invited by a panel of two students, juniors Aidan Kwapisz and Lily Tobita, the former LOHS teacher and founder of the Dynasty House organization spoke about his experience growing up in the Motema Village in Sierra Leone and his adventure moving to the United States. He also discussed his goals with Dynasty House and what inspired him to start the organization.

Dynasty House, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, strives to help the people of Sierra Leone recover from the devastation of a 10-year civil war that ended in 2002. In particular, inspired by his own childhood, Yambasu focuses on improving all aspects of education in Sierra Leone. In 2009, Dynasty House started an education scholarship program for elementary and secondary school students, benefiting more than 100 families. After the national government declared all elementary and secondary education free in 2018, the scholarship fund was reallocated to fund college tuition for students who do not have the financial means to pay themselves. Additionally, the House has made possible the construction and funding of a new secondary school in Yambasu’s hometown, Motema.

Lake Oswego High School’s Dynasty House Club, supervised by math teacher and Dynasty House board member Dan Kumprey, hosted a fundraiser for the organization on Jan. 13, raising money to help fulfill Yambasu’s mission of improving the lives of the people of Sierra Leone. For more information on how you can support Dynasty House and make a difference, visit https://www.dynastyhouse.org.