By Amin Kef Sesay
The Choithram International Foundation, on the 15th March 2021, handed over a cheque Le 110,000,000.00 to the Choithram Scholarship Fund to improve education in Sierra Leone. Financial Controller of Choithram Group, Harish Agnani handed over the cheque to Madam Easterline Palmer who is the Chairperson of the Choithram Scholarship Fund Committee for onward distribution to the beneficiaries.
In his brief statement to Pressmen during the occasion, Harish Agnani intimated that the donation to the Choithram Scholarship Fund is done annually with the avowed objective of improving education in the country.
“This is a regular gesture from Choithram International Foundation set up by late Mr.T Choithram Pagarani and every year funds are allocated to assist needy school going children,” he additionally disclosed underscoring how such is in sync with the vision of the late Mr. T. Choithram Pagarani bordering on improving education and health facilities in the country.
He disclosed that this year, the sum of Le 110,000.000 was been allocated by the Foundation and a total of 165 children will benefit from the gesture.
Harish Agnani also revealed that the Choithram International Foundation had been regularly funding the Choithram Scholarship Fund since its inception in 1967 also informing that like previous years they shall pay fees for a medical student amounting to Le7, 500,000.00
Dilating on other gestures, he said the Choithram International Foundation also provides funds not only for the day to day running of the Choithram Memorial Hospital but also to procure modern medical equipment to upgrade the facilities there in order to match up with international standards.
He said apart from that, the Choithram Charity Trust also supplies foodstuff to the Old Peoples Home and Children’s Home on a monthly basis.
“All of these are considered as part of Choithram Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility,” Harish Agnani highlighted.
He extended thanks and appreciation to the members of the Choithram Scholarship Fund Committee for relentlessly working, over the years to ensure that the annual exercise becomes success stories.
On her part, the Chairperson of the Choithram Scholarship Fund Committee, Madam Easterline Palmer, thanked the Choithram International Foundation for continuing, over the years, to provide educational supports to needy school going children across the country.
She maintained that scholarships are awarded only to those who truly need or deserve them adding that the scholarships are applied for. After application, she informed, the applicant is asked to provide details of his family’s financial status plus passport pictures and based on their assessment in line with stipulated criteria they determine who and who must benefit.
The chairperson further maintained that the process of verification is so transparent and there has been no instance of any form of foul play. She thanked other members of the Committee for all their useful inputs.
Madam Easterline Palmer encouraged the school going children to do their best educationally as well as entreating the parents to always ensure that their children concentrate on their academic work by monitoring their performances and providing them with basic learning materials.
“If you as a beneficiary fails in school then automatically you become ineligible to continue to benefit from future scholarship awards,” she categorically stated adding that because of the prevalence of COVID-19 only fifty five (55) children will be awarded on the 15th March 2021 and the process will continue on the 16th and 17th March.
Two parents, Mariama Saccoh and Alice Kai Kai expressed profound thanks and appreciation to the Choithram International Foundation for their kind gesture and pray that God will continue to provide for the Group.
A chorus of, “Thank You Choithram” by all the beneficiaries present formed the highpoint of the auspicious event.
