With support from Africa-Re, the Sierra Leone Insurance Association (SLIA) on Friday 20th September, 2024, officially handed over eight rooms refurbished toilet facilities and sanitary items to the Amaraia Primary School.
The WASH items include: toilet rolls, hand-wash, laundry soap and disinfectants.
Speaking on the purpose of the ceremony at the school’s compound, Mountain Cut in Freetown, Public Relations Officer at Sierra Leone Insurance Association, Mrs. Marian Kargbo, says during the Covid19 they received small grant from one of their partners, Africa-Re, to support the fight against the virus. However, as a result of the virus being subsided in the country, they thought it fit to use the money to support primary schools suffering from WASH facilities.
She went on that they saw the need to help these schools, and that is why they were present at Amaraia, as these schools lack proper toilet facilities, stressing that with poor sanitation the children’s health would be affected, which will disturb them at school.
“This is why the Association considered to target schools that are suffering from poor sanitation and poor toilet facilities, refurbished these facilities by making them comfortable. We are here today to officially hand over these eight rooms’ toilet facilities to Amaraia school’s authorities.”
She concluded by stating that insurance is a risk transfer. They receive risk from people and when there is a problem, they can be able to solve them, citing that if these children are exposed to germs, they believe they should come to their aid and help them to have a conducive environment for learning.
Deputy Commissioner at Sierra Leone Insurance Commission, Sheku Mattia, says schools are at the heart of everybody and by any other reason, they have some clients that fall under the teachers sector, doing business with the insurance industry, thus, they thought it very wise to respond to the needs of community development, and chose very few schools, with the aim of helping to refurbish their toilet facilities.
He furthered that in terms of selecting the Dwazak and Amaraia primary schools, they formed a committee, in conjunction with school authorities, to do the selection process through thorough assessment.
Head Teacher at Amaraia Primary School, Mrs. Nazarata Kandeh, thanked the Sierra Leone Insurance Association for providing what she referred to as “well body” facility to the school, noting that without this, pupils would be exposed to contamination and germs, which would hinder not only their growth, but also their learning process.