By Francis Kamara
In their continuous support to women and children, and in an effort to commemorate International Women’s Day, Rotary Club of Freetown – Sunset donated the sum of Le.150 million to SisterLand Sierra Leone to provide support and services to vulnerable women and girls.
This historic event took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Wednesday 9th March, 2022.
Rotary is a non-political and non-religious organization open to all people regardless of race, color, religion, gender, or political preference – which aims to encourage and foster the ideas of service, which serve as a basis of worthy enterprise to serve society.
The President of the Rotary Club of Freetown -Sunset, Melphina Beoku-Betts, said Rotary Club is an international service organization that is part of a big international family which aims at serving the communities we all live. She added that the objective of Rotary International is to scout communities that are desperately in need and to help them financially.
She acknowledged that Rotary Club of Freetown – Sunset first came into contact with SisterLand Sierra Leone through the Rotary Club of Aberdeen, St. Fittick District, in England, adding that they have been supporting SisterLand Sierra Leone Project for many years, and that they decided to partner with the Rotary Club of Freetown Sunset to donate the funds raised in England on behalf of the Rotary Club of Aberdeen.
Beoku-Betts added that she has no doubt that the funds will be used for its intended purpose, as the partnership between SisterLand Sierra Leone and Rotary Club of Aberdeen has been truthful and fruitful.
She acknowledged the efforts of Mariama M. Johnson, saying that she takes in young and single mothers to train them with various skills which will in turn empower them to become independent and be able to provide for themselves.
She hoped that the philanthropic gesture of Mariama M. Johnson will pave the way for other Sierra Leoneans to emulate, and come onboard to support because more women in Sierra Leone need support to make them less vulnerable and to take them off the streets. She affirmed that they will be very happy to partner with other organizations to help SisterLand Sierra Leone in their charity work, as it is a very laudable project that helps to promote and empower vulnerable women and children.
Receiving the donation on behalf of SisterLand, Mariama M. Johnson, thanked God and the Rotary Club of Freetown Sunset for such a great opportunity. She affirmed that Sisterland Sierra Leone is a non-profit organization which aims at supporting vulnerable women and children who are living and sleeping on the streets, with no home or anyone else to turn to.
She continued that as a member of the Rotary Club, she was invited as a guest speaker by the Rotary Club of Freetown Sunset in a fundraising dinner, in which she was able to give and overview of SisterLand Sierra Leone and her presentation convinced the organization to render such a tremendous financial support.
Madam Mariama M. Johnson, acknowledged that the donation being given to SisterLand Sierra Leone will be used to set-up an income generating project that will facilitate, promote and support their charity work – as the money will be invested in purchasing cattle or livestock which will be later sold and the money generated will be to run the organization, so that they will not have to depend on other people to be sending them money. They will use the generated income to take care of the vulnerable women and children.
She called on other partners and financial institutions from their support, as support is not only limited to finance, as the less privileged women and children are desperately in need of other items like clothing, foodstuffs, toiletries, etc.
She concluded by encouraging other charitable organizations to continue with the good fight, as it is for the good of humanity and God will bless them in an unimaginable way.
The event reached its climax with few statements from other members, as well as a toast to the success and achievements of the two organizations.
