By Amin Kef Sesay
As a way of providing support and relief for victims of the PMB Fire Explosion, which claimed the lives of many, destroyed properties worth millions of Leones and left some survivors with serious injuries, World Vision Sierra Leone with support from Heineken Foundation on the 30th December 2021 donated One Million Leones (Le1,000.000) each to the discharged victims and others who were seriously affected by the unfortunate disaster as well as households that the COVID-19 outbreak hit extremely hard.
The donation, which in other words was described as a recovery package to help support livelihoods, targeted 100 households which brought the totaling amount of money donated to 100 Million Leones
In attendance were Saffa Andrew Koroma the World Vision Country Health Adviser, Grace Kargbo, World Vision Programmes Director, Councillor Arthur Mansaray of Ward 403, Deputy Director of the National Disaster Management Agency(NDMA), Halima Mansaray,
Mayor Aki-Sawyer, Ward Councillors, the Communications Manager of the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited (SLBL), Unisa Conteh and the World Vision team.
According to, Grace Kargbo, the Integrated Programmes Director of World Vision-Sierra Leone, they decided to go to Wellington with a package of cash to support the beneficiaries to start up life again after the gruesome disaster. She added that as an organization they were stepping in order to support Government’s efforts in providing solace for those affected due to the explosion.
Grace further told those present how they have been working with the National Disaster Management Agency to provide the list of all those that were affected, maintaining that even if the victims were not there to collect the One Million Leones they have representatives to do so.
On his part, the Communications Manager of the Sierra Leone Brewery, Unisa Conteh, disclosed that what are all witnessing falls under its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project further disclosing that they are in the community to support families that had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as those that were affected by the fire explosion.
He further revealed that as a company they rolled out a partnership with World Vision Sierra Leone, and together they decided that the fire victims are one of the groups they will be targeting in order to benefit them a lot because they are vulnerable and have suffered a lot from the fire explosion. Unisa further stated that since the incident occurred the victims’ families have been struggling which is why they decided to do the donation as a way of providing the leeway for recovery.
He continued by stating that the project is targeting the central part of Freetown and the second phase of the project is targeting three thousand individuals, bringing the amount to two billion Leones. Unisa explained that the disaster occurred when the project was ongoing.
The SLBL Communications Manager disclosed that they had implemented Solar Water Well and Educational projects in some communities when COVID-19 was raging, further mentioning that it was through World Vision Sierra Leone that the WASH Project was implemented and it was huge.
The Mayor of Freetown Municipality, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, thanked World vision Sierra Leone and Heineken Foundation for the support given to the discharged patients. She disclosed that the Freetown City Council had also been providing food for the doctors and nurses treating the patients.
Aki-Sawyerr disclosed that the Council is also registering people that were affected by the tanker fire explosion also stating that as a Municipality they will support the fire victims with One Million Leones to each of the three hundred and nine affected families. She encouraged people to go for their sim cards at the All For One Mission Orphanage on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. She said they will donate through Africell, that there will be no charge for the transfer of the money and everyone will be receiving the money.
One of the victims by the name of Joseph Koroma thanked World Vision Sierra Leone and their sponsor for the support given to them.
It could be recalled that in 2020 Heineken Africa Foundation and the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited (HAF/SLBL) entered into partnership to help reduce the spread and impact of COVID-19 in Sierra Leone by investing in a six-month WASH response project worth €210,625 to complement Government’s effort to improve WASH services in the country with objectives to scale up preventive measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 in selected communities and to strengthen health systems and health workers.
The implementation increased access to sustainable clean water and hygiene practices for poor, vulnerable communities in the project implementation communities in Freetown City.
Constructed were three solar mechanized boreholes that are now benefiting 33,857 people in three communities in Freetown, and also supported 6,550 vulnerable people living in slums and hard to reach areas to access WASH kits including hand-washing soap, buckets with taps, sanitizers, water collection and storage containers.
Members of these households were sensitized on the importance of hand-washing to prevent COVID-19 and other common diseases such as diarrhea by community volunteers employed by World Vision.
WASH kits were also distributed to 19 schools, a settlement for persons with disabilities and 6 religious’ institutions.
Additionally, World Vision supported 5 health facilities with hand-washing stations and IPC materials.
Because of this exceptional performance and collaboration with the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited/HEINEKEN Africa Foundation, World Vision was allowed to carry out a second phase of the project with a common commitment to continue promoting lifesaving hygiene education and hand-washing facilities in the urgent fight against COVID-19 in Sierra Leone.
In view of this SLBL/HAF and World Vision signed the second phase which is valued at $300,000 (an equivalent of over 3 Billion Leones), targeting 111,208 people directly and 222,004 indirect beneficiaries. This phase will also further build on the established partnerships and lessons from Phase 1, and continue to focus on WASH activities to fight COVID-19 (incl. communications on vaccinations where applicable).
As sponsor, SL Brewery Ltd./HAF is very excited to see the implementation of the second phase of the project, intensify their partnership and continue to deliver positive impact for our communities.
Sierra Leone Brewery Ltd is a partner for growth and development in Sierra Leone.
