The legacy of the ebola endemic that plagued our nation for almost two years still lives on. Orphans whose parents were snatched by the deadly virus are institutionalized in orphanages that operate with meager resources.
SOS Children’s village is one of the orphanages that cares for ebola orphans.
The Children’s village, which is Freetown, Bo and Makeni, cares for 50 ebola orphans with support from their foreign partner.
Last year 16th June, Sierra Leone’s ‘Bomba’ mobile telecommunications network- Airtel signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the village as part of it’s ‘Airtel Care.’ The MOU, which is “co-sponsorship, took into consideration cost of child per day,” said, Village Director, Liela Labor.
In honoring the MOU that was signed last year, Airtel last Thursday 16th June, presented a cheque of Le 234,540,900 to the orphanage and also gave the orphans a treat of grandeur at the company’s Hill Station head office.
Presenting the cheque, Airtel’s Managing Director, Dapu Olasope thanked management of the village for taking good care of the children, noting that amongst the children are the country’s future professionals.
He said they started the commitment to look after the 50 children to give them opportunity to live to the fullest. “What we’ve done is that we’ve given them life and the chance to succeed,” the MD said, and further assured that they will continue with their commitment and promised future engagements with the village.
Olasope also promised that he would visit the orphanages in Bo and Makeni in order to have first hand knowledge about their well-being.
Receiving the cheque, Madam Labor thanked the company for meeting up to its commitment and taking the lead in supporting the orphans, urging others to do likewise. She pinpointed that this is the first “local support” they received, emphasizing that their support often comes from their foreign partners.
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