By Foday Moriba Conteh
Orphan Empowerment Society Sierra Leone, a non-governmental and humanitarian organization is poised to empower 300 orphans with vocational skills, free medical care, food and non-food items to orphans within the Freetown Municipality. This disclosure was made on Tuesday 10th December, 2019 during an exclusive interview with the Country Coordinator of the organization.
Speaking to this medium, the Country Coordinator of Orphan Empowerment Society Sierra Leone Amb Alie Conteh disclosed that according to a UNICEF report there are 153 million orphans worldwide with 310,000 in Sierra Leone, adding that many orphans do not have access to clean water, sufficient food or basic sanitation and that most orphans rely on seasonal freewill donations, living on less than $1 a day.
He said that these children face enormous challenges to their health and development and it is estimated that 95% of orphans & vulnerable children do not receive any type of medical, emotional, social, material or school related assistance and as a result up to 20% of orphans develop a serious disability and without intervention, most child orphans born into poverty will die in poverty and their children after them.
It on this backdrop, he said as part of the empowerment program orphan empowerment society will be organizing 5 days Orphan Life Line empowerment program from the 16th -20th December, 2019 which will enhance the development of orphans in Sierra Leone, adding that the said project will empower 300 Orphans.
He called on humanitarian organizations and individuals to support them in order for the proposed event to be a success as their approach is to end orphan poverty in Sierra Leone and Africa as a whole.
“Donating to this project you are helping orphans find their feet, Not only do you make the world a better place to live in but also leave a legacy for generations yet unborn by breaking the cycle of poverty,” he maintained.
