The Freetown Cold Storage Company, in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society on Saturday officially opened and handed to beneficiaries a Peace Hut to volunteers, staff and beneficiaries of the Youths Empowerment Centre, Waterloo.
Speaking at the opening and handing over ceremony at Waterloo, Edward Tamba Gandi, Registrar of the University of Sierra Leone revealed that, the founder of the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, Henry Domante was an entrepreneur just like the Freetown Cold Storage Company. He said, Freetown Cold Storage has shown great support to volunteer work and therefore called on other organizations to do likewise.
Giving an overview of the Youth Empowerment Project, Mohamed Sanusi Mansaray, Social Welfare Coordinator of Sierra Leone Red Cross Society said, prior to the establishment of the project, there used to be a Child Advocacy and Rehabilitation Project that was dealing with war affected children but that they later decided to embark on the creation of employment for the youths, thus the creation of the Youth Empowerment Project.
Dilating on the activities that are currently being undertaken at the Youth Empowerment Centre, Mohamed Sanusi said, they started with a tailoring unit, then a carpentry unit and also a welding unit. He said, they intend expanding into agriculture and in the area of adult education.
Alan Lewis, Development and Business Manager, at the Freetown Cold Storage Company while making a statement on behalf of the company expressed appreciation to Red Cross for the cordial relationship, which he said, has existed between them for so long. Freetown Cold Storage, he disclosed, was started by a Swiss based company named Brethlm Keller Holding. He maintained that the Freetown Cold Storage company will continue supporting the Sierra Leone Red Cross in all aspects.
“Since 2002, we have made it our corporate policy to support Sierra Leone Red Cross Society whether it is good or bad’, Lewis declared.
He said, every year, it has been the policy of the Freetown Cold Storage to have a project for Red Cross and this they will continue.
Freetown Cold Storage has been supporting Red Cross in various ways. In the Bonthe district, it has helped the organization with an outboard engine to help the Red Cross’ mobile clinic.
The Development and Business Manager also congratulated Red Cross for efficiently using the limited resources provided by his company for the construction of the structure. He ended by imploring beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity so that their lives will continue to improve.
Oseh Wanzu, headman for the Waterloo community thanked Red Cross for their intervention saying it has helped reduce the crime rate because the minds of the youths have been engaged by Red Cross and Cold Storage. He called on other organizations to follow the steps of Red Cross and Cold Storage. “The Peace Hut you have built for us shows that the peace we have achieved as a nation is here forever”, he said.
The pouring of libation and the official opening of the Peace Hut by Alan Lewis formed part of the occasion.
By John Baimba Sesay
ADVERTISEMENT