By Amin Kef Sesay
During the third edition of the Humanitarian Goodwill Awards 2021, which was hosted by the Orphan Empowerment Society held at the City Hall Auditorium on the 12th November 2021, the Honorary Consul of Yugoslavia to Sierra Leone, Chairman of the Board Multi Choice –Sierra Leone, Chairman Capital Radio and the Founder of Pikin Bizness, Dr. Adonis Abboud, was one of the personalities who addressed the audience who were present.
He started by stating that this year’s ceremony has taken on a greater meaning with the unfortunate incident of the 5th November 2021 in which citizens lost their lives.
“My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives tragically while looking for what they considered as answers to their lack of stomach infrastructure,” he extended sympathy and prayed for the swift healing of those who survived the tragedy.
He said it is his prayer that the positive response to the disaster would be followed by assistance for them stating how they, their families must be comforted and counselled before the traumatic experience turns into a mental health challenge for them.
Dr.Abboud expressed hope and expectation that as a nation and a people we will learn immense lessons from the tragedy including how to respond to large scale calamities saying because as a result of what happened many are now orphans, homeless and helpless.
He said with absolute deference, it is a great honour and privilege to stand courtesy of The Orphan Empowerment Society (TOES) to deliver a address to mark the 2021 World Orphans Day.
Dr Abboud continued that in the course of our journey in life, we often discover like Shakespeare said, that the world is indeed a stage and we move from one story to the next adding that whether we are the main actors, listeners, readers or writers, we live our lives engrossed in the stories of daily existence.
According to him, from the many stories we hear or come across, true or untrue, the orphan figure often stands out as one of the most prominent as a result of the millions of children all over the globe who have become orphaned through no fault of theirs, such as war, famine, displacement, disease or poverty and of course the latest, COVID 19.
He said the special Orphan Day, created by The Stars Foundation, was set aside to raise awareness about the number of children in this world who lack something most of us take for granted: parents.
“The Stars Foundation’s wish was to ensure that the world remembers them at least once a year, on the second Monday of each November and to motivate people to do anything they can, to help; as well as encourage active participation in raising awareness, support, and funding for motherless and fatherless children worldwide,” he revealed maintaining how it is a noble cause indeed. He touched on how COVID-19 has added to the increasing toll of orphans.
The philanthropist disclosed that in 1959, the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of the Child, which affirmed the rights of children everywhere to receive adequate care from their parents and the community.
He said, however, two decades after going to the brink of the abyss, on the streets, nooks and crannies of society, are vestiges of Child poverty, homelessness and deprivation which are a scar on not only our society’s conscience, but also a waste of potentials.
Dr Abboud pointed out that they are very vivid evidence of years of systemic social neglect, cultural appropriation and exploitation, and we can ill afford to wait until tomorrow to act to deal with the problem as tomorrow would be too late for the child who finds himself or herself in such institutionalized social injustice and who may grow up profoundly damaged by the experience.
He said the 340,000 orphaned children feel the disparities of this country in particular as they have a one in five chance of dying before they reach the age of 5 and in some cases, over 50 percent chance of never learning
to read, despite the free education policy designed to correct this anomaly.
He appealed to well-placed Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad, to remember that a child who is not embraced by the village, will burn it down to feel its warmth.
“We need to remember that we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors we borrow it from our children,” he stated furthering how a child must be protected beyond and above considerations of tribe, religion, political affinity or creed, and also must be cared for, with due respect for the family and the nation, as an entity.
He said immersed in the busy schedule of our everyday life, most of us might not realize the pain and suffering orphaned children go through daily.
“Imagine no shelter, no parents, no one to love you and no one to take care of you,” he painted a scenario evoking empathy adding how it must be pretty difficult especially for an orphan child, who is seen; or even sees himself/herself, as a burden on someone, like relatives or the society.
He said this is more so especially, when they are taken advantage of, abused in every possible way, maybe denied education and many a times, have to go without proper food and shelter. It must be a very sad life.
“Sadly, some of us also, as we live in our own world of enjoyment, have a mind-set that orphans don’t exist and when we meet one, a few people might sympathize, but most still don’t act,” he bemoaned disclosing how the world and global society benefit when we help orphan children.
He maintained that instead of harming themselves and others, they grow up to be responsible, healthy adults that give back to the community they live in, instead of taking away from it.
Dr Adonis Abboud underscored that one don’t have to be rich to be a humanitarian.
“You don’t have to be rich to help somebody; You don’t have to be famous or even have to be educated,” he emphatically stated saying it simply starts with one’s neighbour, the person right next to you, the person sitting next to you, the child down the road; or the one that you heard about needing help or assistance.
He said all one needs to do is whatever one can to help in any way that one can. Putting it in other words he said it is being able to put oneself in someone else’s shoes and having empathy.
“Today I want to challenge each of you to make a commitment to help one person: one organization, one situation that touches your heart. If you’ve got the time, if you’ve got a Leone or two, if you’ve got space in your house, or work to offer then believe me you’ve got plenty to share,” he stated.
Dr Abboud concluded by stating that performing humanitarian acts helps to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain human dignity and is based on a view that all human beings deserve respect and dignity and should be treated as such.
In another development, since crowned as Honorary Paramount Chief Adonis Bambamoi on the 15th January 2021 Dr Adonis Abboud paid a visit to Upper Bambara Chiefdom on the 12th November 2021.
Dr Adonis Abboud was in the company of Hon. P.C. Cyril Foray Gondor ll , Chiefdom Speaker Maada Stephen Gbassay Babawo who was Chairman of the occasion, the Mammy Queen , the Covid-19 Senior Exec. Alfred Jamiru and Coordinator/ interpreter Michael Jamiru
He first visited to Korbu headed by Section Chief, Moriba Brima and Bambara which is headed by Section Chief, Lahai Kanneh
The remaining 4 Section Chiefs all attended a special ceremony which was held at the Chiefdom Court Barray.
Also present were the First Lady, Mrs Foray, Naiahun Section Chief Lahai Momoh & his Deputy Jusu, Goleiwoma Section Chief Lahai Sundifu, Golu Section Chief Amara Momoh and Bomaru Guma
Section Chief Peter Amara.
Statements were made by the Hon. P.C. C.P.Foray Gondo ll, Honorary P.C. Adonis Bambamoi, all section Chiefs and Alfred Jamiru.
Dr Adonis Abboud then offered gifts to the six (6) Section Chiefs who each received a bag of rice and handed over 300 bags to children.
He also gave Souvenir Gifts of specially carved wooden sticks with a book to all 6 Section Chiefs.
The Pendembu Community Centre received a DStv Satellite System with a 43 inch flat screen to be installed in the coming week.
Pledges were also made for Laboratory equipment for the Pendembu Vocational school as well as FM radios dished out to 30 students in the JSS & SSS levels.
The vote of thanks was done by the Mammy Queen who gracefully presented the traditional thank-you gifts to the Honorary P.C. Adonis Bambamoi which included red palm oil, free range country chickens, plantain, yam etc.
The day ended with cheering songs by the students attending the ceremony.
