Sierra Leone’s leading telecoms company, Orange Sierra Leone has provided food running into millions of Leones to muslims in Freetown. The donations took place at two mosques, ILMU ZIKRE and Masjid Karim in Wilberforce and IMATT communities in Freetown respectively. 20 bags of rice, ten jerry cans of oil, ten bags of sugar and ten bags of milk among other items were provided for the two mosques to help them in their fasting period.
With the donated items, fasting has been made easy for the muslim communities throughout the fasting. While donating the items, Head of Public Relations at Orange Sierra Leone, Annie Wonnie Katta told the jamaats that the mosques had always been theirs, and that they see it as a duty to help them. Orange Sierra Leone, she said, donated food every year during fasting to show that they are always together in everything they do.
“Giving IFTAR [food] to the muslims show that we are always together during Ramadan,” Madam Katta said.
Receiving the gifts on behalf of the jamaat, Chief Imam, Chernor Mohamed Jalloh appreciated Orange Sierra Leone’s continued kindness to the mosque. The Chief Imam said he was happy for having Orange in their midst adding that the company has always lent a helping hand to muslims during the Ramadan period.
“This is not the first time Orange Sierra Leone has donated food items to the mosque. They have been doing it over the years,” the Chief Imam recounted. Sheik Jalloh also recognised the effort of former Chief Executive Officer for Orange Sierra Leone, Aminata Kane Ndiaye who, he said, had been doing all within her power to seek the mosque’s interest.
The former CEO who was member of the ILMU ZIKRE mosque had made it a duty on her to always donate food to the mosque during Ramadan throughout her years she stayed in Sierra Leone. The Chairlady of the mosque, Haja Sesay too expressed appreciation to the Orange Sierra Leone team for the gesture.
She informed the officials that what Orange is doing to the muslim community is also what obtains in Guinea. “Muslims were assisted with food items during the month of Ramadan to make it easy for them during fasting,” she said.
Chairman of the board, Alhaji Bailah Leigh also expressed sentiments of good will to Orange Sierra Leone for the gesture. The donations did not only stop at ILMU ZIKRE at Wilberforce Community but also were taken to another mosque, Masjid Karim at IMATT community in Freetown.
The comments by the head of public relations for Orange Sierra Leone however remained the same. She told the jamaat that her institution donated the food items to Jamaat to make it easy for the muslim community in the period of fasting.
The Chief Imam, Sheik Abdul Karim Kamara who received the food items on behalf of the jamaat was pleased for the donation Orange made to them. Sheik kamara who quite well knows that the gifts came out of love and care praised and prayed for the telecoms company to continue to stay in business.
The donations yesterday are two in a latest streams of donations (IFTAR) which Orange Sierra Leone has been offering to the community of muslims since Ramadan started.
Almost two weeks ago, Orange team was at Dwazark community where over 500 muslims were fed by the company. Orange Sierra Leone did not only donate food to the muslim community there but also prepared and served the muslim community who converged at Dwazark community field to dine and drink together.
What a fantastic show of love, care and above all humility in a community filled by a large muslim population. Dwazark muslims on that day were also elated at the kindness and humility of a telecoms company saying such an effort is hardly seen anywhere.
One of the benefactors, Amara Kamara told this press, in an exclusive interview that, he and other muslims were particularly happy for Orange Sierra Leone’s kindness to the community.
“We will continue to pray for the company so that it stays with us for ever,” he said adding that a family that eats together stays together. Kamara is one of many Sierra Leoneans who subscribe to the notion that Orange Sierra Leone is a caring and loving company that is committed to helping muslim communities in Sierra Leone with IFTAR during fasting. Orange continues its help to other mosques in Sierra Leone as the fasting drags to close.