By Politico staff writer
Dozens of orphans and underprivileged children from homes in Kenema in the east of Sierra Leone held a moment of elation and fanfare on Christmas Day, courtesy of the Development Foundation for Children Sierra Leone (DFCSL), a nongovernmental charitable organization in the country.
The event which took place at the office of the organization in Kenema, meant a lot to the kids from various deprived homes to celebrate together in the festive period, assuring them that they were never alone during the merry-making.
Neatly dressed and well-fed, the kids celebrated the day in a beautiful atmosphere.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Mayor of Kenema City Council, Esther Kaisamba, said the organization had been catering for the orphans and vulnerable children's well-being, saying the founder's passion for kids was “second to none”.
“As an organisation that cares, we would not like to see Christmas passing by without holding any activity for vulnerable children," Kaisamba said. “It is good to offer food to the less-privileged children for them to have a sense of belonging to society.”
In her address at the celebration, the National Women's Leader of the Sierra Leone People's Party, Hawa Foray, described the philanthropy as a new initiative and believes that it is difficult for anyone to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable children. “It is a real novelty,” she said.
She commended founder of DFCSL, Jenneh Brima, for her zest in improving the status of orphans and vulnerable children.
As a show of respect, Ms Foray referred to the children as ministers and first ladies to come and identified herself with them. “You are very special people,” she told the children. “We were in the same position where you are today. Some of us lost our parents during tender ages.”
The women's leader sees DFCSL as one that complements the government's free quality education project, noting that the project is one ensuring that children from all backgrounds - especially humble ones - enjoy access to education of which feeding is a key component.
She also reiterated her promise of supporting the kids through the organization. “Now we have known that there is an orphanage here, we will know the kind of support we are going to offer,”
she assured.
The DFCSL officials on the International Women's Day also offered food and non-food items to the physically challenged so that they could feel part of the celebration, markig its first donation since it was formed four years ago. They have also been providing text and exercise books and other school materials to ease learning.
The foundation came into existence after Ms. Brima looked back at her struggles in the past. She explained that she would detest seeing today's children go through similar, painful circumstances which she went through when she was a kid.
Copyright © Politico Online (09/01/23)
