African Minerals (SL) Limited has donated19 cartoons each containing 1,000 sachets of high quality UNICEF recommended Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) to communities in the Lokomasama chiefdom that were severely affected by the latest outbreak of Cholera, a killer waterborne disease.

The nearly Le 30 million medical consignment was presented by the company’s Medical Director, Dr Florinela Cirstina, to the chiefdom authorities, among them Paramount Chief Bai Maro Laminaya Ngbator II of Lokomasama, Hon. Binneh Bangura and Hon. Kombor Kamara.

Social and Community Relations Manager, Musa Alie Bangura, said the gesture was in direct response to the disease outbreak in a chiefdom that is playing host to the company’s rail operations in the Port Loko district.

“We are making this donation because we believe that the environment in which we operate must be healthy.

We consider ourselves as part of the community now and therefore think it was worrisome forall of us,” he said, adding that 2,500 sachets were to go to the main referral Pepel healthcare centre; 2,000 to Mannah II health centre, 2,000 to the Bundulai health facility while the rest of the 19 villages should get 500 sachets each.

PC Ngbator II welcomed and thanked the team from African Minerals and assured it members of his people’s continued commitment to the cordial relationship that exists between them.

“I was struggling to get serious medication for my people when I got a call from Anthony Navo Jr., the Media and Public Relations Manager, that they were sending in some medication for my people. I felt relieved. Thank you once more for coming to our rescue at a time like this,” he said.

Both members of parliament present for the occasion later joined in to register their gratitude and assured the benefactors that the medicines would be utilised for the purpose for which they were donated. They, however, called for more support.

In the wake of the disease outbreak, African Minerals had organised community health talks on radio stations and visited villages affected to raise awareness around basic hygiene practices, prevention ways and simple treatment measures.

Meanwhile, another consignment of food items, rice and other condiments, were also sent in to ease the problem of limited feeding at this time of the rainy season when harvest was far away and food stock was running alarming low. The items were also part of the Ramadan gesture to Muslims fasting across the company’s 220 kilometer long operation area, covering some 15 chiefdoms in the Northern Province.