By Foday Moriba Conteh
It will be recalled that one of the telecommunications service providers in the country, Orange-Sierra Leone, as part of rolling out its Early Childhood Development Center School Project, which happens to fall under the GSM Company’s Free Quality Education Support to the Government’s Free Quality Education (FQE) Initiative, the company had already constructed three pre-schools in Kambia, Moyamba and Pujehun districts respectively.
On the 10th November 2021 during a well-attended ceremony at Lokomasama Chiefdom, within the Port Loko district, Orange Foundation Sierra Leone, turned the sod for the construction of another Early Childhood Ultra-Modern Pre-school in the Petifu Section, of Lokomasama Chiefdom, which will be constructed by Arch Design Construction Company.
Welcoming the delegation, the Chiefdom Speaker for Lokomasama Chiefdom, Pa Alimamy Obai Fet Kamara described the move by the company as a move in the right direction geared towards children in that part of the country to access early education like any other child in the country of which he used the opportunity on behalf of his chiefdom to expressed appreciation to Orange Foundation-Sierra Leone for the laudable venture.
He maintained that the construction of the pre-school in Lokomasama by Orange Foundation clearly shows that the company’s is actually committed to complementing the Government’s Free Quality Education Initiative further revealing that as chiefdom they are more than ready to embrace Orange Foundation as a development partner.
Chief Kamara also appealed to his people to embrace the project which, he said, will benefit Lokomasama Chiefdom and the surrounding villages and will largely contribute to overall national development.
In her address, the Director of Orange Foundation, Jestina Betts noted that Orange Foundation is very pleased to turn the sod for the construction of the Ultra-Modern Pre-School in Lokomasama Chiefdom Port Loko District which she said after completion will be the 4th Ultra-Modern Pre-School the company has constructed in four districts.
She maintained that it has been assured that the construction work will be completed by December 2021and will be handed over to Government which will in turn offer to the people of Lokomasama as the first state of the art Early Development Center that will serve as a safe facility to provide space for the children of Lokomasama Chiefdom and its environs to access free and quality education which she said will mark the fourth pre-school the as part of the company’s school building Project which purely focuses on ensuring a better and promising future for children.
Jestina Betts encouraged residents of that great settlement to take advantage of the golden opportunity and enroll their children into the facility, especially the girl child assuring how it will avail them a better foundation, nurture them well for the Primary School stage and help to foster their educational pursuit in general.
Liaison Officer, Office of the Vice President, Moses Kamara, commended Orange Foundation for their tireless efforts in complementing the Government’s Free Quality Education Initiative by constructing Early Childhood Centers in the country.
He added that with the construction of the Pre-School in Lokomasama Chiefdom it will surely create positive impacts on the lives of children in that part of the country especially when the Free Quality Initiative is a priority in the New Direction Agenda.
He revealed that he is aware that Orange Foundation has constructed similar Early Childhood Centers in Kambia, Moyamba, Pujehun and now Port Loko District.
In her keynote address, the Deputy Minister of Basic Senior and Secondary School Education (MBSSSE), Kadiatu Emily Gogra, described Orange Foundation Sierra Leone as a reliable partner in development especially towards the Free Quality Education Initiative in the country.
The Deputy Minister also commended Orange for the big intervention in Lokomasama chiefdom, adding that the company has been helping the Ministry of Basic Senior and Secondary Education in increasing schools across the country.
She urged residents of Lokomasama to see Orange Sierra Leone as their own and appealed to the community to support the company by purchasing their products and services which includes the buying of more top-up and sim cards so that the company would grow and in return contribute towards the development of the country.
Madam Gora revealed that over the years the company has been working tremendously towards digitalizing their services with particular attention paid to the launching of the 4G+ by the telecoms company which she said has given customers the opportunity to access fast internet connection in the country.
“The company helped the West African Examination Council in churning out WASSCE (West African Senior School Certificate Examination), BECE (Basic Education Certificate Examination) and NPSE (National Primary School Examination (NPSE) results. This help from Orange Sierra Leone saved parents Le40, 000 (forty thousand Leones) per pupil,” she noted.
Climaxing the event was a conducted tour of dignitaries to the construction site which was followed by the official turning of the sod by the Deputy Minister of Basic Senior and Secondary School Education (MBSSSE), Kadiatu Emily Gogra, the Director of Orange Foundation, Jestina Betts, community stakeholders and pupils.
