First set of baby packs has been presented to lactating mothers of Kroo Bay, Freetown’s biggest slum communities by Orange Foundation. The foundation is a subset of Sierra Leone’s leading and largest telecoms networks, Orange Sierra Leone.
Five lactating mothers received the five baby packs at the screening centre in the presence of community stakeholders and the Section Chief of Kroo Bay Community, Pa Alimamy Kargbo. Orange SL’s move is to support government’s free healthcare policy which caters for pregnant women, lactating mothers and under-five children.
The beneficiaries appreciated effort made by Orange Sierra Leone for what they referred to as a timely intervention. Orange Sierra Leone’s donation touched the lives of women in the community.
The donation took place the previous Thursday during Orange SL’s weekly visit to the maternal screening centre at Kroo Bay Community in Freetown. The donation also geared towards improving the maternal and reproductive health situation which, in turn, positively reflects on the country’s overall health management.
During the visit, several screening tests such as blood sugar, malaria, MMHG, HIV and COVID-19 were conducted on pregnant women and children within the community. The donation is part of Orange SL’s commitment to support deprived communities through its safeguard of Maternal Health projects in partnership with ICAP and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
More donations are expected from Orange Foundation to improve the conditions of women in the community. The donations by the company came after it launched the Maternal and Reproductive Health project for Kroo Bay community few months back.
The launching of the health project was prompted by the high rate of maternal and infant mortality Sierra Leone has recorded in its recent past. The country quite recently is slowly returning to its sad history.
Sierra Leone, over 10 years ago, was rated as one of the worst places in the world for a woman to give birth. It was second only to Angola, another African country where women were dying out of childbirth complications.
During the launch of the maternal health Project, Minister of Health and Sanitation, Austin Demby admitted that Sierra Leone had failed to meet the recommended UN benchmark of at least 70 deaths out of every 100, 000 live births. The Minister hoped that with concerted effort and support of Sierra Leoneans as well as corporate entities, a turnaround would be ensured.
Orange Sierra Leone’s contribution to maternal and reproductive health of women in Sierra Leone sector is a direct response to government’s call. It is hoped that the health project in Kroo Bay would be taken to other communities in Sierra Leone.
Society is safe when women and children are safe, and Orange Sierra Leone works towards that direction because it is an organisation that cares.