By Foday Moriba Conteh
Demonstrating recognition, gratitude and appreciation for the company’s outstanding and excellent services towards orphans and the less privileged children in the country, the Orphans Empowerment Society- Sierra Leone has on Wednesday 16th November, 2022 , during an auspicious event held at City Hall Auditorium in Freetown, recognized Premium Diving Trading Limited among several other institutions and personalities with this year’s Humanitarian Goodwill Award 2022.
The Award ceremony, which was geared towards recognizing individuals and institutions that have been providing excellent and humanitarian services towards orphans and the less privileged in the country was held in commemoration of World Orphans Day, which falls on the second Monday of each November, as a day to draw attention to the plight of the world’s orphans, and so on that day, people are encouraged to actively participate to help raise awareness, support and funding for motherless and fatherless children worldwide.
It must be noted that the organization has over the years been very supportive to the Orphan Empowerment Society (TOES) with series of donation of their products in order to support orphans and less privileged children in the country.
Worthy of note is that the continuous support by the company was done within the context of enhancing or raising awareness on the part of the company of healthy eating habits by availing their products, the Miksi nutritious package, to actual and potential consumers to enable them and their families enjoy good nutrition through the consumption of Miksi chocolate drink that were sampled during the award ceremony.
In his address during the programme, the National Coordinator of The Orphan Empowerment Society (TOES), Amb Alie Conteh, said the organization, with other humanitarian organizations, joined the world to commemorate the World Orphan Day on the theme: “Caring for Orphan Children in Awful Conditions is a Duty, Particularly in the Fight Against Corruption.”
He added that as part of the commemoration the organization used the opportunity to recognize individuals and institutions that have been providing excellent and humanitarian services towards orphans and the less privileged in the country with 2022 Humanitarian Goodwill Awards.
The National Coordinator revealed that their goal as an organization for the year 2022/2023 is to empower 5,000 orphans across Sierra Leone with vocational skills and free medical care which, he said, they have been doing but said they cannot do that alone by leveraging on their massive volunteer network and the support of kindhearted partners that have been supporting the organization.
He commended Premium Divine Trading Company limited for supporting the organization with donations of their Miski Chocolate products.
Amb. Alie Conteh used the opportunity to inform the gathering that in December, 2021 Premium Divine Trading Company limited donated 200 cartoons of their food products, which included 100 cartoons of Yumvita and 100 cartoons of Miksi Chocolate to the Orphan Empowerment Society (TOES) with the objective of supporting Orphans in Orphanage Homes within the Freetown Municipality.
“Today again in commemoration of World Orphans Day 2022 we are proud to announce that the company has supported us with 100 cartoons of assorted products and 1000 exercise books in order to support our orphans in the country and for this I want to use this special opportunity to appreciate Premium Divine Trading Company limited for their immense support towards the development of orphans in the country,” he concluded.
The National Coordinator on behalf of the Orphan Empowerment Society (TOES) presented the Humanitarian Goodwill Award 2022 in recognition for the company’s outstanding and excellent services towards orphans and less privileged children in the country.
Commenting on behalf of the company, the Marketing Manager of Premium Divine Trading Ltd, Kwaku Ampadu Afoani expressed appreciation to the Orphan Empowerment Society (TOES) for the recognition.
He said that the company is very pleased to join the world to commemorate World Orphans Day.
Kwaku Ampadu Afoani said that food is a basic requirement for life and the company’s support is geared towards ensuring no orphan child sleeps hungry, adding that is why they are offering 100 cartons of their assorted products to the orphanages represented at the ceremony.
He stated that additionally the company is also donating 1000 exercise books to support these orphans’ educational pursuits.
The Marketing Manager informed all that this is not the first donation that the company has made to support orphans in the country of which he said that the company is caring for orphans and less privileged children in the country through the Orphan Empowerment Society.
He informed the gathering that at Premium Divine Trading, their mission is to provide quality food products for all.
Earlier in his statement, the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Mohamed Haji Kella commended the Orphan Empowerment Society (TOES) for the initiative, adding that during the event he engaged a child from one of the orphanage home who told him about how he has been eating Miksi Chocolate of which he further extended appreciation to Miski Chocolate for their continuous support towards supporting vulnerable children in the country.
He said that World Orphans Day is a very important day and that the day has been put in place to draw attention to the plight of the world’s orphans, and so on that day people are encouraged to actively participate in helping raise awareness, support and funding for motherless and fatherless children worldwide.
The Minister, however, called on other institutions and individuals to support orphans in the country. He stated that the country currently has over 3.7 million children and that 12 percent of that population of children lost either one or two of their parents.
He said that most of orphans are living in poverty and that only few of them are living in orphanage homes of which he said some of these children are living on the street and vulnerable to a lot of abuses.
Other dignitaries present at the ceremony, including the Chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone, Li Xiaoyong, the Chief Executive Officer of Leone Rock Mental Group made enlightening statements.
Closing the ceremony was the presentation of certificates, awards to individuals and institutions that have been providing excellent and humanitarian services towards orphans and the less privileged in the country with the Humanitarian Goodwill Award 2022 of which the Country Director of Premium Divine Trading Ltd, Kenneth Konuah was also one of the awardees of this year’s Humanitarian Goodwill Award.
