By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Management of Sick Pikin Project and the family members of Melvin Brima has on Tuesday 9th March 2021 extolled the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) for supporting Melvin Jessie Brima to undergo surgery at the Max Super Specialty Hospital in India. Barrage of commendations were poured during a Press Conference held at NASSIT Head Office on Walpole Street in Freetown.
It could be recalled that NASSIT on the 31st January 2021 donated a total sum of Eighteen Thousand United States dollars ($18,000) towards the treatment of Melvin Jessie Brima, who was suffering from congenital septal defect.
In his address, Lead Campaigner for Sick Pikin Project, Ishmael Alfred Charles expressed joy that Melvin whom NASSIT supported financially to undergo the medical treatment and another kid, Ishmail, supported from another source to be medically treated in India have returned to the country hale and hearty and that the surgeries were successful while thanking NASSIT and the Government of Sierra Leone for providing the funds for the surgeries.
He noted that they are extremely grateful because both Melvin and Ishmail have been given a second chance in life as they are back as normal kids and will live again like other kids.
Charles noted that the kids will continue to be monitored as there are specialists in the country that will be checking on them in order to ensure their total recovery.
Director General of NASSIT, Mohamed Fuad Daboh, responding to the appreciation also thanked the contributors to the scheme noting that the support was made possible through monthly contributions and contributions from members of staff.
He thanked each and every contributor, especially Sierra Leoneans, who believe in the Sick Pikin Project and NASSIT.
Daboh revealed that as an institution their primary role is to execute a pension scheme that cares for people when they retire from active service and that they pay benefits to individuals who have attained the retirement age.
He added that they also have a duty to the State by giving back to society as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility and that is the more reason why they supported the work of Sick Pikin Project.
The Director General divulged that NASSIT attended a Sick Pikin marathon sometime back and they committed to support one of the kids who happened to be Melvin Brima, furthering that the support cost them 18 thousand Dollars stating how their members of staff also contributed around ten million Leones which he described as a worthy gesture disclosing that they are happy that the children have now returned home safe and sound.
He ended by thanking the Government of Sierra Leone and particularly the President, Julius Maada Bio, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation for their support towards sick children with serious complications.
The mother of Melvin Brima, Madam Mamawa, expressed gratitude to NASSIT and the Sick Pikin Project for the wonderful gesture, adding that she was not even thinking about how such could materialize and was wondering where her family will get such an amount of money when her child was first diagnosed and told about his condition.
Madam Mamawa said it reached a point in time when she thought the kid was a devil and had wanted to get rid of him but said through the support of NASSIT and other contributors they have saved her child’s life.
She called on Sierra Leoneans to continue to support the Sick Pikin Project and the NASSIT scheme noting that there are several other kids out there who are in need of such a support.
Sudie Mansaray, the mother of Ishmail, also expressed happiness noting that her child was born with a condition she never understood furthering thar her son had always been ill since he was born and have to be hospitalized on several occasions furthering that when he was finally diagnosed with that rare condition she became worried thinking she was going to lose her child.
She added that she could remember they were admitted like four times until they were transferred to Freetown when they came across the Sick Pikin Project Manager who came to her rescue and they are grateful as words cannot express how they feel now as a family.
