“Life is light,” says Millicent Mamy Alie, a senior lecturer in the Institute of Food Technology, Nutrition and Consumer Studies. Millicent made the statement last Friday during the official installation and commissioning of a 500KVA generator donated to the university by the biggest and leading telecoms company Orange Sierra Leone.
Staff and students of the university celebrated one of the greatest success stories of Orange Sierra Leone’s CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).
The generator was commissioned by Chief Minister, Jacob Jusu Saffa who made the request to the company. The company’s move is to support and enhance learning in the university. Students and lecturers who are direct beneficiaries were thrilled for words. With the donation, a new and future has been ushered to Njala University.
Orange, a company which has been in Sierra Leone since 2016 has been supporting a good number of the country’s development projects. To make the company more relevant to the country’s national development project, a unit called Orange Foundation was created headed by a director, Jestina Betts.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Betts told beneficiaries that reliable power supply was needed for teaching and learning. It was out of the need to support education, she went on, that the 500KVA generator was donated to the university.
“Teaching cannot be effective in the absence of power. Students are tech-savvy meaning there is an ever increasing need for energy,” she emphasised.
Orange Sierra Leone, she said, was about supporting national development plans noting that the company has an active CSR and Foundation strategy in education, health, women’s empowerment and culture. Orange Foundation Director also informed the audience that when Free Quality Education scheme was launched in 2018, Orange Sierra Leone was the first business entity to pledge US$1.5M in support of education for a period of five years.
“Orange Sierra is an essential brand that improves lives because it is people-centered,” she said.
Under the company’s CSR scheme, several donations running into millions of Leones have been offered to universities and Schools. “Desks, computers and food items have been donated to students affected by Ebola.
the company had also sponsored several social activities in the university notably ‘Meet Njala University Beauty Pageant.’ The donations, she went on, were means to give back to society. Betts also informed the audience that Orange Sierra Leone remains the leading and biggest GSM operator in Sierra Leone as the company takes the pride in 460 communication sites.
Plans for further expansion are underway. Receiving the generator on behalf of staff and students, Professor Andrew Baimba appreciated Orange telecoms company for bringing light to the university. Prof Baimba pointed out that reliable energy supply had been a challenge for several years.
“The university is not connected to the national grid,” he stated.
The Vice Chancellor is therefore grateful to the company for honouring its promise.
He said a friend of the university engaged Orang e Sierra Leone, and it was that engagement that Njala University celebrated last Friday. He said the New Direction Government prioritised education and Orange Sierra Leone too had been very supportive of government in the education sector. Professor Baimba also made reference to various forms of assistance which Njala University has been enjoying from the company.
Between 2015 and 2016, he went on, Orange Sierra Leone provided over 1, 000 furniture to the university to ensure a comfortable sitting accommodation for students. He said the desks and chairs came at a time the university was in dire need and that Orange is a friend in need.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed,” he stressed.
Ministry of Energy was represented by Deputy Minister, Eldred Tunde Taylor. Taylor informed the audience that “a strong and good relationship” existed between Orange Sierra Leone and the ministry. For the past 18 months, he said, Orange was among six competent aggregators.
He therefore described the donation as a demonstration of true commitment to Orange’s corporate social responsibility. The Deputy Minister called on the University authorities to embark on prudent management and operations of the generator for sustainability.
He said three years ago, there was a total breakdown at the engine house, a situation that compelled the Energy Ministry to despatch high profile technicians to solve the problem. Owing to the donation, by Orange Sierra Leone, the problem of breakdowns had been solved.
Taylor also stated that the Ministry of Energy was concerned with generation, distribution and metering. He said it was the energy generation that Orange Sierra Leone had undertaken through the donation.
Taylor made it clear that offices and hostels of Njala Universotu had to be properly metered so that enough returns could be generated. The move is to keep the generator up and running for years to come.
“We are determined to ensure that Njala University enjoys energy supply,” he said.
In his contribution, Minister of Information and Communication, Mohammed Rado Swarray too registered his gratitude to Orange Sierra Leone for their good work. “We are celebrating Orange Sierra Leone’s goodies and goodwill,” he told the audience.
Minister Swarray alluded to the good old days when Njala University was the best place to visit noting that the college is today a shadow of its former self. He also spoke about key interventions Orange Sierra Leone has made to the people of Sierra Leone. “Orange Sierra Leone resuscitated a dying SLENA (Sierra Leone News Agency) and rejuvenated its publications,” Mr Swarray pointed out.
SLENA, according to the minister, is now a trusted government mouthpiece.
The Information Minister also made reference to the Le1Bn donated to government by Orange Sierra Leone following the outbreak of Corona Virus in March, last year. He also testified about the construction of three pre-schools in Kambia, Moyamba and Pujehun districts adding that he commissioned one of the schools.
“The right environment for learning has been created through the donation of the generator to the university,” he said.
Swarray also informed staff and students that a US$30M fibre project was underway adding that several towns and communities could be connected and that Njala University was a priority.
He assured staff and students that in coming days, the fiber would be landed in Njala University, a situation that calls for a reliable supply of energy. He said the move was to actualise President Julius Maada Bio’s vision of Digital Revolution in Sierra Leone.
Orange Sierra Leone has readily answered the call for energy availability in the campus. In his keynote address, Chief Minister, Jacob Jusu Saffa commended Orange Sierra Leone for supporting the Human Capital Development project which is the centerpiece of government.
“Man is the beginning and end of development,” he said.
The minister pointed out a direct relationship between illiteracy and poverty. He said two months back, he got calls from Njala University for improved electricity. As he thought of private sector financing for the project, he immediately contacted Orange company which provided the generator within a short period.
“We are eager to solve the electricity problem in Njala University,” he assured.
Mr Saffa however re-echoed user-fees for generator’s sustainability.