Sierra Leone: At an event organized by the Sierra Leonean Ambassador to the United States of America, His Excellency Sidique Abou-Bakarr Wai, the Senesie Empowerment Foundation donated the sum of 16000 dollars to support healing and healthcare in Sierra Leone. The event was chaired by His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio and First Lady, Fatima Maada Bio, to raise funds for the completion of the roof construction work at Berny’s Hope Hospital, construction of 34 Military Hospital , and a state-of-the-art full-service Medical Centre for Excellence in Freetown.
Speaking during the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Senesie Empowerment Foundation, Francis Senesie, said that he and his wife were very proud and happy to contribute to the human capital development of Sierra Leone, adding that they believe in the vision and development trajectory of Bio’s government, hence the reason they were donating such a huge sum that will contribute to healthcare development and health systems in the country.
‘’Out of sincere intentions, those funds were donated. They did not come from a place of abundance, instead; they came out of sacrifice of the little in a small patriotic Sierra Leonean way for the greater good of those children and Sierra Leone in general. This is what patriotism looks like and my hope is that, those charged with administering those funds will do the “RIGHT THING” in a patriotic spirit, so the beneficiaries will come out successfully in the end, for a better Sierra Leone,’’ he said.
Francis Senesie added that the foundation that he and his wife established, have contributed greatly in diverse areas from education, livelihood, and healthcare development, stating that they will continue to play their part in the contribution to these areas, as they believe that by helping out they are making the world a better place.
When asked what Sierra Leone should expect from The Senesie Empowerment Foundation in 2023, he replied: ‘’there are plethora of programs being worked at; ranging from advocacy for women, children, violent free elections awareness campaigns; issuance of scholarships to tertiary level, wheelchair donation to the disabled and more”.
Lamenting on education, CEO Senesie stressed that he and his wife loved education and that they both would love to see education as a right for all and not a privilege, furthering that part of Sierra Leone’s development in the doldrums for the last several decades is due to lack of education on a massive scale, but said with the introduction of Bio’s Free Quality Education (FQE), it has positioned the West African nation’s development trajectory in education.
‘’So when I saw the President and First Lady start this Free Quality Education for All Initiative, I was stunned, but decided to hold my breath and see how it unfolds. And yes, my faith has proven to be right and the initiative continues to make progress. The President and First Lady took upon a “parental role”, where most traditional parents in Sierra Leone had faltered, either because of their unbelief in education, or because they have not tasted of it, as well as the absence of resources to educate their children or selfishness to empower their children through education, especially the girl child. So the action of H.E Maada Bio and First Lady, Fatima Bio, to educate over 3 million children, and guarantee them a brighter future and massive transformation for Sierra Leone, is mind blowing,’’ CEO Senesie added.
The CEO stressed that when kids grow up educated, they will be able to have independent minds, be able to start their own businesses, skilled to compete in the 21st century economy, be able to travel around the world, marry the woman/man of their dream, and not worry about “sugar daddies” offering pittance for their bodies, or politicians using them as pawns for political advantage.
“An enlightened mind is a liberated soul. How can a country of about 8 million people with 70% illiteracy rate develop? Imagine that! Our hope is to cut that down to 1% in the future, and yes, it is possible with the right commitment, dedication and consistency,’’
It could be recalled that the foundation has been contributing to several causes in Sierra Leone, including providing funds to the needy and other organizations. Last year, the foundation donated 5000 dollars in support of Bio’s Free Quality Education.
