By: Melvin Tejan Mansaray
In tandem with its corporate social responsibility, one of the country’s leading telecom companies, Orange Sierra Leone has pumped huge chunk of money and other efforts into the fight against the coronavirus pandemic hitting country.
In a presentation ceremony, Orange donated a cheque of one hundred billion leones to the Covid-19 fight also highlighting some of the company’s other interventions in the Covid-19 outbreak.
Speaking before making the donation, Chief Executive Officer of Orange Sierra Leone Madam Aminata Kane Ndiaye said they have been fighting the coronavirus pandemic collectively adding that “we want to continue doing so going forward.”
She asked for a special prayer to be offered for all those admitted at treatment centres across the country and also for those who have lost their lives to the pandemic assuring Orange’s unflinching support to the government and emergency response.
She noted that since the outbreak of COVID in the country, “Orange has been supportive by sensitizing the general public through mass text messages and also providing other facilities to communities.”
She however on behalf of Orange Sierra Leone presented a cheque of Le1 Billion towards the fight against COVID and pledged their continued support to the government and people of Sierra Leone.
The Orange CEO thanked the immense contributions of National Covid-19 Emergency Response Center (NACOVERC) for the fight against Corona. According to officials, a portion of the money will go to the National Council for Civic Education to undertake civic education in the country.
The presentation was done at the conference room of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Youyi Building, Freetown.
In her welcome address, the Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Madam Mamadi Ngobeh Kamara, said Orange have been very good partners to the country with their support being massive over the years.
She assured Orange of government’s commitment to providing an open space for them to do their business and also thanked them for such wonderful support towards the fight against the Corona Virus.
Receiving the cheques, the Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swarray, recalled that when the Coronavirus struck Sierra Leone mobile phone companies were among the first to support the government by providing mass text messages to Sierra Leoneans about the effect of Corona and the precautions they should take in order not to be infected by the disease.
He described the donations as massive especially when they were targeting the civic education space as well through sensitization and awareness raising.
He appealed to them to continue to be supportive as their role in the country cannot be overemphasized.
The Chief of Staff of NACOVERC Solomon Caulker expressed his appreciation to Orange for their support towards the fight against COVID-19 in the country and commended them for always standing by the government in times of need.
He appreciated the move by mobile phone company to direct their support to district COVID response teams as that will enable them to become more proactive.