By Amin Kef Sesay
The 17th April 2020 has gone down the annals of history of the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited (SLBL) as one when the company, in its usual posture, swiftly responded to the urgency of fighting the detestable coronavirus. SLBL, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility and their support towards the fight against the coronavirus in the country, on that day donated personal protective Equipment worth millions of Leones to the Government of Sierra Leone through the Covid-19 Response Team.
The impressive donation include 2,000 litres of alcohol sanitizers, 5 Milla Hand washing machines with accessories, 50 veronica buckets with accessories, 50 hand washing basins, 30 cartons of soap, 14 cartons of tissues and 12,000 cans of Maltina drinks.
Presentation of the items took place at the Forecourt of the Emergency Operation Centre at Cockerill in Freetown.
Present at the ceremony were the Human Resource & Resource Mobilization Officer of the COVID-19 Response Team, Cyrus Sheriff, Member of the Strategic Planning Team, EOC Covid-19 Response Team, Moses Miller, Managing Director of the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited, Laurent Bukasa, Corporate Affairs Manager, Albert Ojo Collier, Mrs Zorah Anthony, Head of HR – SLBL, Mrs Aminata Kassim-Carew, Marketing Manager (SLBL) and Corporate Affairs Assistant, Unisa Conteh.
In his address, the Managing Director of the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited, Laurent Bukasa, expressed appreciation to the Government of Sierra Leone for its pro-activeness in putting measures in place to curtail the spread of coronavirus in the country, adding that Brewery is a development partner underscoring how in that regard they are extremely humbled to donate the aforementioned items to the Government and People of Sierra Leone through the Covid-19 Response Team.
He said the company bought a huge quantity of alcohol which was locally processed to 70% making it possible for the 2,000 litres of alcohol sanitizer that were donated by SLBL, noting that hand washing is very key towards curtailing the spread of the virus. He said it is in that regard that they are not only donating the sanitizers but also 5 Milla Hand washing machines with accessories stressing such will be placed at various locations for people to observe regular hand washing.
He admonished citizens to adhere to the preventive measures instituted by Government and the health practitioners in order to curtail the spread of the virus in the country.
Receiving the items on behalf of the Government, a member of the Strategic Planning Team of the EOC Covid-19 Response Team, Moses Miller, expressed gratitude to the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited for the items donated praising such as a timely intervention.
He assured them that the COVID-19 Response Team will supervise the proper distribution and utilization of the donated items assuring that they will reach the targeted beneficiaries.
