Airtel adopts 50 Ebola orphans

The leading mobile company, Airtel Sierra Leone, has adopted fifty Ebola affected orphans in the country.

This was disclosed to newsmen at a press conference held yesterday at the SOS Children’s Village at Lumley in the west of Freetown.

The children are going to be taken care of by the SOS Children Villages in Freetown, Bo and Makeni.

The Chairperson who also doubles as Advocacy Movement Network Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Hawa Samai, noted that about five thousand children have lost their parents during the Ebola outbreak, and that they need the support of people for them to realise their full potentials.

She commended Airtel Mobile Company for always supporting activities that have to do with children and urged them to continue in promoting the future generation of the country.

A National Ebola Response Team representative, Ms. Tina Davies, said since the outbreak of the disease, Airtel was the first mobile company that supported the Government in the fight against the viral disease and also supported All Works of Life (AWOL) in nationwide sanitization about the disease.

She commended Airtel for their support to the Government in eradicating the disease in the country and for being the first company to start adopting Ebola orphaned children in response to the post Ebola Recovery Plan Project.

Airtel Managing Director, Mr. Sadipto, said he is pleased to be part of the company that is coming to the aid of the government and affected children.

He further stated that since the advent of the disease in the country they have always been supportive of the Government and the people in the fight against the deadly disease.

He called on other companies to engage in such ventures in order to build on the future of children as Airtel cannot do it alone.

He promised that they will continue to do what they could as they attach a lot of premium on children.

Mr. Sadipto noted that giving physical money to children is not a solution to the problem but educating them will contribute to their future and the future of the nation.

He revealed that the fifty children they have adopted are going to be supported up to university level.

In his remarks, the SOS National Director, Mr. Olatunji Woode revealed that SOS has produced over twenty three thousand children since its inception.

In her keynote address, Second Lady, Mrs. Jonta Foh, said the future for many Ebola orphans is bleak, noting that providing parental care for them is most appropriate at this period in their lives.

By Bintu Kamara

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