By Millicent Senava Mannah
One of Sierra Leone’s leading telecommunications companies operating in the country, Orange SL, in partnership with ST Foundation has on Tuesday 16th November, 2021 officially launched its Super Coders Scratch Programme which is geared towards enabling kids to create their own games, animated stories, and interactive art and to share their creations with one another over the internet. The launching took place at the FAWE Junior and Secondary School, Waterloo, in the Western Rural District.
Human Resources Director of Orange Foundation, Agnes Songa, said the ICT programme is part of the company’s 1.5 million dollars package to support the Government’s Free and Quality Education Agenda, maintaining that their material support package is being implemented over a period of five years for corporate social responsibility actions through their Foundation.
‘’The launch of the FQE Super Coders Scratch Project will once more demonstrate Orange’s commitment to it Corporate Social Responsibility programs outlined as Orange Sierra Leone Foundation’s contribution towards the Government’s Free and Quality Education Project,’’ she added.
She continued that they developed five key projects which include Solar Kits for school children, distribution of hygiene packs for girls in upper primary and senior secondary schools, inter secondary competition for which the winning school stands to gain a fully furnished computer lab to be provided by Orange, amongst other projects.
According to her, in January 2021 Orange SL Foundation was launched saying it operates like a Non-Governmental Organization that is responsible for the company’s external Corporate Social Responsibility. She also highlighted that the Foundation stands on 3 main Pillars; Education, Health, Culture also stating how they look after Women, the Girl Child & Youth.
“We create social change in communities and in the lives of individuals because ‘We Care’ and are “Called to Care”, she stated hilariously.
The Country Director of ST Foundation, Mohamed Dumbuya, stated that they are partnering with Orange SL to impact knowledge on the children, furthering that there is no life without Information Communication and Technology and that they will continue with the project until their targeted objectives are realized.
He encouraged the children to work hard also motivating them to ensure that they work with the trainers, stating that Orange SL has already paid for everything.
FAWE Senior Secondary School Principal, Isatu Kabia, expressed gratitude to Orange SL for launching the aforementioned project in their school stating how they do consider it a great honor for them to be the first benefactor of the project.
Mariama Dalanda Jalloh, a pupil of FAWE School expressed, on behalf of others, their deep sense of gratitude to Orange SL and the ST Foundation for the project, maintaining that it is a great development for the only girls’ school in Waterloo to be part of the global village as technology is the center of things today.
