By Joe Tucker
Sama Foundation a humanitarian charity organization In Sierra Leone has donated Cricket items to the Sierra Leone Women cricket team ahead of their T 20 North West Africa tournament cricket match that was recently held In Ghana.
Mr. Bundu Hayes, CEO of the foundation officially donated the items on behalf of his foundation at the Prince of Wales School ground. The CEO disclosed during the ceremony that the foundation has always contributed in the promotion and development of football and other sporting disciplines in various communities across the country.
The CEO expressed his deepest thanks and appreciation to the World Food Warehouse to the Rescue in the United Kingdom for sponsoring the donation which according to him is worth 4,000 United States dollars. He is optimistic that this organization would continue to do more in supporting the development of sports in the country.
‘’We have always been in the fore front when it comes to promoting sporting activities in the country and this particular donation was a right step since the team urgently needed the equipment for the cricket tournament’’ , he concluded.
The Sierra Leone cricket women represented the country in the tournament brought home laurels. This is not the first time for the Women Cricket side to be crowned Champions of West Africa. The donation hugely contributed to boost the morale of the team whose trip was sponsored by the Sierra Leone Cricket Association.
Elizabeth French, Sports Manager at the Correctional Services Center and Director of Female Cricket in Sierra Leone stated that they were so grateful to have received such a donation from Same Foundation before their important trip to participate in the North West African tournament .
“I felt good as the Director of female cricket and I knew we were going to win as I know the extent to which my girls have trained ahead of the tournament and the various skills they have exhibited.’’ . The female Director boasted that this is not the first time they have emerged as champions as they have won in Banjul in 2015, during the Ebola period when they had to travel by road and came with glory .She also cited that in 2018 again they won the Champion of West Africa.
Madam French also noted that the donation was witnessed by the Chairman of the Sierra Leone Cricket Women’s Association who according to her expressed appreciation for the donation which he stated they will make good use of hoping that more of these gestures will come form other well meaning organizations.
“Cricket equipment are very expensive and our chairman has also been working immensely to help us get these equipment he always advocate during his overseas trip ‘’.
It could be recalled that the Donation included full crickets equipment including pairs of cricket pads, wicket keeper gloves, pairs of bats, knoll stickers etc .The Sama foundations has donated similar sporting equipment to the Saint Edwards, Prince of Wales and Albert Academy Secondary Schools and the Central One Football Association in the recent past all in a bid to promote sports in the country.