By Foday Moriba Conteh
In commemorating International Women’s Day, the Premium Divine Trading Company Limited, on Friday 5th March 2021 held an awareness raising program on the Importance of Women in Leadership during an event that was held at the Methodist Girls High School in Freetown on the theme: “Women in Leadership Aspiring an Equal Future in COVID-19 World”.
Addressing the pupils, the Honourable Member of Parliament for Constituency 037, who also doubles as the Deputy Whip of the main opposition APC party in Parliament, Hon Catherine Zainab Tarawallie, expressed appreciation to Premium Divine Trading Company for holding such an event which she described as not only important but very timely.
She noted that International Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8th of March around the world as a focal point in the movement for women’s rights, adding that it is also a day to celebrate the achievements of women and raise awareness about gender equality.
Hon. Catherine Zainab Tarawallie highlighted that Women in Leadership is very key, maintaining that when women become leaders, they bring skills, different perspectives, structural and cultural differences which ultimately drive effective solutions to societal
problems, adding that women constitute the highest population in the world and that in Sierra Leone women makeup of 52 percent of the country’s population but said even though they make 52 percent of the country’s population they are not given the opportunity in terms of occupying leadership positions.
She revealed that as of the 4th March 2021 there are 18 female Members of Parliament out of 146 parliamentarians saying such constitute 12 percent of Members of Parliament. Against such a backdrop, she urged them as pupils to take their studies serious underscoring how education is the key to success; “Education is a process of learning that one goes through in order to become somebody in society”.
Hon. Catherine Zainab Tarawallie pointed out that as the theme implies COVID-19 is real and they must adhere to all the precautionary measures that the Government and its partners have put in place also underscoring that it is only when strict adherence is maintained that all could stay safe.
She also encouraged them to buy Premium Divine Trading products as a way of supporting them to reach out to more communities with such gestures furthering that their products, like Yumvita, will revitalize them during study times.
On his part, the Country Manager of Premium Divine Trading Ltd, Kenneth Konuah, noted that Premium Divine Trading, as a responsible company, thought it fit to roll out such an event that was geared towards empowering women and girls in the country adding that they are holding such an event and doing so with the strong belief that such could be helpful in motivating the students especially as the world celebrates International Women’s Day.
He disclosed that Premium Divine Trading Company Ltd is a company that markets and distributes food products and that when it comes to food women play critical roles in food preparation.
According to him, in that regard they decided to celebrate International Women’s Day with Girls of the Methodist Girls High School in order to appreciate their potentials and that the company believes in their prospects and potentials to become great women and adorable mothers in the near future.
“Premium Divine Trading Company Ltd distributes and markets Cowbell, Onga, Miksi, Xploza, Kremela and yumvita which, in particular, is an infant cereal with milk that comes in three variants namely: wheat, rice and maize and wheat combined,” he intimated further disclosing that the package sizes are 50g and 400g and they are produced in Ghana by Promasidor Ghana Limited for export sales to some West African countries including Sierra Leone. He revealed that they are the sole distributor of all the aforementioned products in the country.
He encouraged the students to cherish healthy snacking by consuming Yumvita which he stated will help them as a company to do more of such gestures.
Managing Director of Premium Divine Trading Company Ltd, Mahmond Basma, disclosed that the business entity is a food distribution company that operates as an agent for Promasidor, a leading supplier of quality food products in more than 30 African countries, including Sierra Leone stating that their products are affordable and nutritional.
He said they have been selling and distributing products like Onga, Cowbell, Miksi, Xploza and Yumvita and that they are doing a lot to promote the consumption of good food in the country.
The Managing Director added that Women from every corner of the globe should come together on March 8, which, he maintained, is also a call to action for accelerating gender parity and that the day is celebrated with a global theme “Choose To Challenge” which indicates that a “challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change”.
He encouraged the female students to buy their products stating that they will not regret as their products are of high quality.
The Principal of the Methodist Girls High School (SSS), Daisy Mcewen, expressed gratitude to the Premium Divine Trading Company Ltd for choosing her school to celebrate International Women’s Day with her Girls.
She revealed that the celebration has impacted the Girls as it exposed them to the importance of Women in Leadership and also motivated them to see themselves as important and empowered people who can meaningfully contribute towards the development of the nation and mould them to become responsible citizens in the future.
She pointed out that women face a lot of challenges across the world but said with modern day developments, things are going to change for the better as women’s rights are human rights and they will continue to press on as women.
A beneficiary, Mariama Kamara, who is a SSS 3 pupil, expressed appreciation to Premium Divine Trading Company Ltd for thinking of celebrating the International Women’s Day with them.
The event was climaxed by a Birthday Cake cutting for all students whose birthdays fell on the March 8, 2021 accompanied by all ‘March borns’. The pupils enjoyed the opportunity to cut a birthday cake which was prepared by Premium Divine Trading. All pupils were also given Yumvita products to enjoy.
