By Amin Kef Sesay
In an emergency, like the one caused by COVID-19, which the whole world is grappling with at this material moment, decimating lives, stagnating economic growth there is the urgent need for collective action to be implemented with the avowed aim and objective to combat the hydra in order to restore normalcy.
Indeed, the COVID-19 has taken a huge toll on lives and economies around the world to such an extent that modalities were and are still being put in place to ensure that we find ways and means of coming up with an antidote that can cure the deadly disease that the virus causes. But while we wait for scientists and medical practitioners to find the cure it is but just fitting to embark on breaking the chain of transmission. The Government alone cannot do it which is why organizations and private individuals need to get onboard in order to complement whatever strides the Government is making to contain and finally combat the virus. We are well aware that one major way of enhancing the fight is through community mobilization which is why targeting provincial residents is very significant.
It is against such a backdrop that the Chief Executive Officer of Pavi Fort Construction Company-Sierra Leone, Alimou Barrie, decided to join in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in the country with a resolve to complement Government’s efforts. Out of selflessness and the passion to give back to society, Alimou Barrie, took upon himself, on behalf of his road construction company, to donate cash, medical equipments and bags of rice to all the sixteen districts in Sierra Leone, a mission the successfully ended in the Pujehun District on the 24th June 2020.
The exercise started in Freetown on the 27th May 2020 when the CEO of Pavi Fort and his team donated the sum of fifty million Leones (Le50, 000,000) and PPEs including 5,000 face masks, 100 gallons of hand sanitizer (1 gallon) worth a total of Le. 120,000,000 to the Government of Sierra Leone through the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). The handing over ceremony took place at the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) situated within the SLFA compound in Kingtom, Freetown.
In Koinadugu and Falaba Districts, on the 30th May 2020, Pavi Fort Construction Company donated forty million Leones (Le40M), five thousand Face masks, fifty gallons of hand sanitizers to the Koinadugu and Falaba District Emergency Operations Centers and ten million Leones for both the Paramount Chiefs of both districts at a ceremony held at the Koinadugu District Youth Council Hall in Kabala.
The leading indigenous company Pavi Fort –Sierra Leone on Friday 5th June 2020 donated a huge consignment of hand sanitizers, five thousand clinical face masks, 50bags of rice and a cheque of ten million Leones (Le10, 000,000) to the District Emergency Operation Centre (DICOVERC) in Bonthe District.
The company on the 6th,7th and 8th June 2020, Pavi Fort –Sierra Leone donated cash ,bags of rice and Personal Protective Equipments worth millions of Leones to the Kailahun, Kenema, Kono and Makeni Districts COVID-19 Emergency Response Centres (DICOVERCs) in order to scale up the fight against the spread of the coronavirus in the aforementioned districts.
In Kailahun District they handed over 70 bags of rice, 10 million Leones, 4,000 litre of sanitizer and 3,000 facial meant for the residents of the district.
When they reached Kenema District the team donated a 10 Million Leones cheque, 30 gallons of sanitizer,4,000 pieces of face masks, 100 bags of butter rice were donated to the DICOVERC and 20 bags of rice to the local chiefs.
The Pavi Fort team, headed by CEO Alimou Barrie, then proceeded to do another donation in Kono District where they handed over a Forty Million Leones (Le40M) cheque, 150 bags of rice and Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) to the Kono District COVID-19 Emergency Response Centre (DICOVERC) in Koidu Town on the 7th June 2020 geared towards the containment of the spread of the coronavirus in Kono.
The leading indigenous road construction company in the country, Pavi Fort Construction Company on the 8th June 2020, led by its dynamic and charismatic Chief Executive Officer, Alimou Barrie, landed in Bombali District, Northern Sierra Leone where they handed over a Twenty Million Leones (Le20,000,000) Cheque, 50 bags of rice,20 gallons of sanitizer and 3,500 face masks to the District COVID-19 Emergency Response Centre (DICOVERC) in Makeni meant for scaling up the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in that part of the country. An additional ten million Leones (Le10, 000,000) and 20 bags of rice were also handed over to the local authorities in order to facilitate their movements, coordination and activities in containing the spread of the deadly virus.
From Makeni, the team headed North to Karene District on the 13th June 2020, where Alimou Barrie presented a cheque of Twenty Million Leones (Le20, 000,000), 80 bags of rice, 30 gallons of sanitizer and 5,000 face masks to the District COVID-19 Emergency Response Centre (DICOVERC) at Gbintie Town in Karene District. He clarified that the donation including cash, medical items and 80 bags of rice (50 kgs) worth 110 million Leones were meant to facilitate the fight against the corona virus within their respective chiefdoms in the district.
Before proceeding to Kambia and Tonkolili the Chief Executive Officer of Pavi Fort, Alimou Barrie on Sunday 14th June 2020 provided support to the Port Loko DICORVERC with a 20 million Leones cheque, 120 bags of rice, 40 gallons of hand sanitizers, 5, 500 face masks, 7.5 million Leones cash, all totalling 120 million Leones.
Also, as part of his goodwill gesture to the people of Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom, Lungi, CEO Barrie, handed over a 10 million Leones cheque, 2.5 million Leones cash, 50 bags of rice, 2,000 face masks worth 70 million Leones as social mobilization support to contain the spread of the disease in that part of the country.
On Sunday 21st June 2020, the charismatic, result-oriented Chief Executive Officer of Pavi Fort Road Construction Company, Alimou Barrie and team were in Kambia and Tonkolili Districts.
In Kambia District, the short but impressive donation ceremony took place at the DICOVERC Office situated at the Kambia District Hospital.
The Pavi Fort CEO and team handed over a cheque of 20 million Leones, medical items including 2,500 face masks, 100 bags of rice and 25 gallons of hand sanitizers totalling 100 million Leones.
Chief Executive Officer, Pavi Fort- Sierra Leone, Alimou Barrie said out of the total amount donated the 10 million Leones cheque, 70 bags of rice, 25 gallons of hand sanitizers and 2, 500 face masks were meant for the Kambia DICORVERC to break the chain of transmission of the virus. He furthered that the 10 chiefdoms in the district will also benefit out of the balance 10 million Leones cheque and 30 bags of rice to fight the disease by stakeholders in the respective communities in that part of the country.
In Tonkolili District, Pavi Fort donated a 20 million Leones cheque, medical items including 25 gallons of hand sanitizer, 100 bags of rice and 2.500 face masks totalling 100 million Leones.
“In the area of enhancing social mobilization of traditional authorities within the district the company is also offering a 10 million Leones cheque and 30 bags of rice to the authorities in order to combat the disease in the district,” Alimou Barrie stated.
The CEO and team landed in Moyamba District on Monday the 22nd June 2020 where they donated a 10 million Leones Cheque, 100 bags of rice, 20 gallons of hand sanitizers, 5 million Leones to the traditional authorities in the district and 2,000 pieces of face masks, all totalling 80 million Leones.
On the 23rd June 2020 in Bo District, Pavi Fort donated 120 bags of rice, 40 gallons of hand sanitizer, a 10 million Leones cheque, 5 million Leones cash, and 3,000 N95 face mask, totalling 120 million Leones.
When the team led by its dynamic CEO, Alimou Barrie, was finally in Pujehun District, which was the last destination, on the 23rd June 2020, they donated a huge consignment comprising 20 gallons of hand sanitizer, two thousand (2,000,000) pieces of N95 face masks, 100 bags of rice and a cheque of ten million Leones (Le10, 000,000) and five million Leones cash (Le5, 000, 000) to the District COVID-19 Emergency Response Centre (DICOVERC) in Pujehun District.
In all the districts that the donations were made the District DICOVERC officials, who received them on behalf of Government as well as the local authorities showered profuse praises on the Chief Executive Officer of Pavi Fort Road Construction Company –SL, Alimou Barrie, for what they unanimously described as his patriotic gestures.
In a snap chat with Alimou Barrie, he said, he was humbled by the kind sentiments expressed by all the beneficiaries furthering how such a move is a response to national call which he could not resist at this material time. He praised the Government in general and President Julius Maada Bio in particular for taking gigantic steps since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country in order to combat the spread of the virus.
He admonished all to strictly adhere to the preventive or precautionary measures outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health & Sanitation to avoid contracting the virus. He stated: “Together we can defeat COVID-19” and concluded with the words: “To God Be the Glory”.
