By Millicent Senava Mannah
The Sick Pikin Project, a non profitable organization, helping sick children in the country with support from the German Embassy, SLCB, Vista Bank, Shri Gurudwara Sahib Association, Chicken Town, and other donors, held its annual Marathon and Walkathon on the 17th December, 2022 with participants taking off from the National Stadium on Syke Street and ending at the Aberdeen Beach in Freetown.
Giving an overview of the event, the Founder of the Sick Pikin Project, Ishmael Charles, stated that, the marathon and walkathon is part of their fundraising activities that is done with the objective of continuing to medically support sick children in the country.
He continued that, it is an opportunity for donors to meet with the beneficiaries face to face and to actually see the work they have been doing.
He further appreciated the Government and all their donors for their relentless efforts in supporting them to save the lives of children. According to him, since the commencement of the Sick Pikin Project, they have flown a total of 250 children out of the country for treatment adding that in this year alone, they have sent a total of 16 children to India for treatment.
He commended everyone who took part of the marathon and walkathon maintain that taking off from the National Stadium, where they started, to the Aberdeen beach was indeed quite a distance.
The Founder of the India association, Shri Gurudwara Sahib Association, Mohimder Bir Singh, intimated that they appreciate the work Ishmael Alfred Charles is doing disclosing that such is the reason why they ,as an organization, are supporting the Sick Pikin Foundation to help support the poor and less privileged who can’t afford to take their children to hospital.
He disclosed that as an organization, all the monies received from donors are being sent to the Sick Pikin Project to help children, and how they also went out with the Sick Pikin donation boxes to the streets to beg money for the sick children. He further appealed to the Lebanese and other foreigners to do the same.
The German Ambassador, Jens Kraos-Masse, revealed that he is there with his whole team to support the Sick Pikin Project. He further affirmed that they appreciate the work Charles had been doing, and how they will continue to render their support to the organization to save the lives of children.
The representative of the National Revenue Authority, expressed how excited she is to be there further stating how they don’t only collect taxes, they also support the Sick Pikin Project using the opportunity to appeal to business people to pay their taxes, for them to continue supporting the organization.
Ishmael Alfred Charles appreciated four doctors with gifts and also cash for their dedication in helping to diagnose these children, and for also operating children with minor cases. The doctors were Dr. Aiah Lebbie, Dr. John Lavalie, Dr. Abubakarr Bah and Dr. Karim Kabineh.
The mother of Tanu Bundu, one of the beneficiaries, Kadijatu Bundu, commended the organization and donors for their support, stating how her child was having a congenital heart disease but with the intervention of the Sick Pikin Project her child underwent operation in India and he is now doing fine.
The mother of another beneficiary, Mariama Sesay, also thanked God and the organization for helping her child. According to her, her child’s brain was on her face furthering how it was the Sick Pikin Project that helped her Child to be operated on in India and called on all Sierra Leoneans who have the will power to support the Sick Pikin Project to save the lives of more children and give hope to parents.
The event was climaxed with the giving out of medals to participants. Mondeh Sahr took the first place in the Marathon; Andrew Davies took the second place, medals were given to them and other participants.
