Monrovia – As part of its Global Appreciation Week’s activities, employees of Liberia’s pioneer Telecommunications Company, Lonestar Cell MTN, have made a donation of US$2,810 to two community based organizations making significant impact in their communities amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.
On Saturday, the employees wrapped up their donation exercise at the home of the Rescued Abandoned and Children In Hardship (REACH) in Nezoe Community, Paynesville, where it presented a check of US$1,605.
Earlier on Wednesday, the group presented a check valued at US$1,205 to Community Healthcare Initiative (CHI), a local non-governmental feminist led organization that provides healthcare and social services to women and children in under-served and hard to reach communities in Liberia.
For REACH, it is a charitable organization that provides scholarships, mentoring and addresses the needs of child victims and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and orphans, as well as children who are sick, abandoned and impoverished.
In addition, REACH also runs a feeding program for dozens of kids on Saturdays. And it was on one of those happy days for the children that the team headed by the Acting Human Resource Director of Lonestar Cell MTN, Madam Johnette D. Horace visited them.
“Lonestar Cell, as you know came to Liberia in 2001. And when we came to Liberia, we were only thinking about connectivity for people, but later on, we found out that the people that we have as our customers are not just our customers, but also they are part of our family. They are part of our wok and part of whatever we do,” Madam Horace said.
“So, we change our mission from just connecting people to making people’s lives brighter. And we are talking about touching the lives of these young children, and the kind of work that you plus other organizations, do out there to enhance your work” she added.
She explained that every year in September, the company awards bonuses to employees for their exceptional services. But this year, the staff unanimously agreed to freely give their bonus to the community through organizations that promote community-based initiatives. Out of five, the two organizations were selected because of their exceptional and impactful work, she noted.
“We were touched by your work with the children. There are people that are going to bed without food while others are wasting food. There are people who throw a whole bowl of meal away in the evening because it was there for the whole day and they don’t want to eat it. Still, we have children that have not have a meal that day. So, with the bonus, we thought about putting all of the gift coupons together and donating it to charity, she intoned.
In response, the Founder and Executive Director of REACH, Madam Ne-Suah M. B. Livingstone, thanked Lonestar Cell MTN for the gesture and assured that the money will be used for the intended purpose.
Madam Livingstone said the item was a significant boost towards her organization, which depends on donations and other forms of help from friends and humanitarian for its upkeep.
“This is not little for the work that we do. This is going to go a long way, and you can trust us that this money is going to be used for the intended purpose. I think that was why we were selected. And I can assure you that as long as I am living, a child that is in need is my passion. No matter what happens, I will live for these children” Madam Livingstone pledged.
Earlier on Wednesday, October 28, Madam Horace led a delegation to CHI office on Marshall Road in Margibi with a check of US$1,205.
Presenting the check to CHI’s Executive Director, Naomi Tulay-Solanke, she stated: “It is our mission for us to make the lives of those that we work with healthier, and so we decided to select two local organizations for our donation this year and CHI was one of those organizations that were selected”.
She thanked CHI for its continued sacrifice and urged the organization to continue its intervention.
Madam Tulay-Solanke thanked the Lonestar Cell MTN employees for the gesture, adding her institution was honored and delighted to have been one of the beneficiaries.
“We know there are thousands of CSOs in Liberia that are actually at the forefront of Covid-19 response, development work, or advocacy. For us at CHI to be selected means a lot and that means the work we are doing is not going unnoticed in the community.”
She said CHI has been providing health care services to underserved women, girls and children in hard-to-reach communities in Liberia since 2014. The donation, she promised, will not be wasted and will be used for its intended purpose.
CHI is presently working with community health volunteers and community leadership, creating awareness and conducting contact tracing initiatives with persons that are showing signs and symptoms of Covid-19. In addition, the organization is working with women support groups to ensure that maternal and child health issues are not neglected during COVID-19.