MONROVIA — A local humanitarian and non-for-profit organization operating in Liberia named and styled Kolu Sokodolo Foundation has identified with the UNICO Orphanage which provides parental care, education and feeding to scores of adults and young children left behind by United Nations (UN) and ECOWAS soldiers who came to Liberia on peacekeeping mission during the country’s brutal civil unrest.
The foundation is engaged into the rehabilitation of the homes of less fortunate Liberians, including aging mothers, provision of educational, and empowerment opportunities to young Liberian students, women, and old folks, among others in Margibi, Montserrado, Bomi and other counties.
It donated about 20 bags of 25kg rice and an unspecified amount for soup to the UNICO orphanage situated in Brewerville, district 17 in Montserrado County, outside Monrovia on Tuesday, April 6.
Making the presentation, the Foundation’s Country Director, Monlue Shine Gbelemah disclosed that the gesture was made position through the instrumentality of the group’s Chief Financiers, Mother Kolu Sokodolo Walters and her husband, Mr. Moses B. Walters.
He recalled that the latest donation brings to two the number of times the foundation has identified with the orphans and caretakers at the orphanage in 2021.
He described Liberian children, particularly the orphans as the “pillars of the nation” who should not be neglected in the Liberian society.
“Today again we have come to do another donation. We pray that God will give us the strength and open doors for us so that we can continue to support our future leaders. If Liberia is to go to another level, we need to pay attention to these children because; they are the pillars of the nation. We are asking the government and organizations to pay attention to our children and build their future”.
Mr. Gbelemah disclosed that the Financiers of the foundation have been blessed by God “to really help Liberians”.
According to him, the Foundation has embarked on the construction of a hospital to help alleviate some of the constraints pregnant women, children and others find in accessing adequate health care delivery in the country.
“Let me say thanks to Mrs. Kolu Sokodolo Walters and Mr. Moses B. Walters. As we speak now, we are building a hospital that will be able to cater to these children and people from elsewhere. We are also having a school that is catering to these children. They take their hard-earned money and sent it to Liberia to support children. We all need to do the same-especially those of you in the Diasporas, have businesses, companies-we are asking you to join us”.
Mr. Gbelemah further stressed that children should not be abandoned or neglected of the requisite supports needed if they must be successful to contribute their quotas to the nation’s rebuilding process in the future.
He commended the efforts being applied by administrators, teachers and support staff at the orphanage in ensuring that the orphans become productive citizens in the society.
Receiving the donation, the Proprietress of the UNICO Orphanage, Madam Siah Cole, commended the foundation for the gesture.
“I want to take this time to tell the Kolu Sokodolo Foundation thank you for this donation. As I see this food, it wants to bring tears of joy to my eyes because, since we came from Gardnesville, it has been eight to nine years and since my husband illness nobody has really come to our aid consistently. May God bless them for the assistance they have given here; he should give them strength and long life that they should be able to do more and more”.
Madam Cole disclosed that the orphanage was established following multiple dreams in which her husband was instructed by peacekeepers in Liberia to take the lead in providing adequate home and care for children they had with Liberian mothers and others in the country.
She disclosed that the orphanage was officially registered on October 5, 1995.
She added that though most of the children who were left behind by peacekeepers were brought up properly at the orphanage, some of them turned to drug users and are engaged into unwholesome practices due to the lack of adequate support to cater to them.
“When we started the orphanage, we registered about 7000 plus peacekeepers children in Liberia. We brought some of them at the orphanage and we started to help these children small, small. Sometimes we used to give them cold water or palm nut money to buy and go sell to feed their children. Those who never had anything were the ones that were able to be here and stayed here and got big; and born children”.
Madam Cole used the occasion to call on President George Manneh Weah to combat against the illicit flow of drugs and other dangerous substances into the country.
According to her, most orphans who are embarrassed or under stressed at various orphanages across the country continue to find other alternatives by engaging into drug and substance abuse or other unwholesome acts.