Concord Store donates Le20 million to disaster management in Sierra Leone
8th May 2013, Freetown – Triangle Emergency Relief Action, (TERA) launched an Anti Disaster Campaign at the Miatta Conference Hall, Freetown.
The Managing Director, Mr. Yasser Al–Ghahna of the number one building material store in Sierra Leone, Concord Store Limited, heartily donated the sum of Le20 million to the committee to help fast track operations.
Speaking to Yasser at his office, he told this reporter that he always feels sorry for those that have been victims of disaster of any kind in the country, emphasizing on his nationality which has nothing to do with his commitment to help his fellow Sierra Leoneans. “I am a Lebanese by colour but a Sierra Leonean by birth who has the country and his countrymen at heart”.
The Managing Director cited the Mountain-Cut incident and the Tombo village boat disaster some time last year, which he said gravely touched his heart.
He expressed his gratitude to the media, youth groups, mobile phone companies and the government of Sierra Leone for supporting the sensitization campaign to those that have built their houses in slum areas and in the hilly areas under dangerous rocks. He added that disaster does not discriminate between poor and rich but affects all walks of life.
Mrs. Mary Kamara, Director of TERA said a mobile company has agreed to work with them by sending weather messages, especially to pilots, while the Office of National Security (ONS) has also assured of working with TERA.
Mrs. Kamara disclosed that Sierra Leone is the first country in Africa and second in the world to benefit from such programme, adding that Haiti is the first country where natural disasters massively destroyed lives and property.
She explained those factors that normally cause disaster, one of which she said is lack of emergency response, but assured that modalities are now in place to quickly respond to disasters.
The Deputy Minister of Information and Communication, Mr. Theo Nicole appealed to his countrymen to carefully read text messages that enter their mobile phones, although he said 70% of Sierra Leoneans cannot read and write. “But in any family, there must be one literate who can read and passed on the message,” he noted.
By Foday Marrah
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