In her short address to the children and their parents and teachers who accompanied them, Mrs. Fatima Bio, who is a co-founder of the Foundation, thanked the children, parents and teachers for coming to the event.
The Rtd. Brig Bio and his wife, Mrs. Fatima Bio, were amongst those who distributed the food to the children. Rtd. Brig. Bio and his wife also wished the children merry Christmas and they all sang Christmas carols together. One of the highlights of the event was also the dancing amongst the children as the atmosphere was very joyful.
The children who attended the feeding event were all smiles as they also had the chance to interact with one another in the spirit of Christmas. Parents and teachers were very delighted about the generosity of Rtd. Brig. Bio and wife through their Foundation. Speaking to members of the Media and Communications Team during the food distribution, Adama Kargbo, a single parent who accompanied her 8 year old girl said “I am very impressed with this gesture from Maada and his wife. It shows they are very caring people. I pray God will make Maada Bio to lead this nation so he can continue to care for poor people.”
Shortly after the feeding event, the wife of Rtd. Brig. Bio explained the purpose of feeding the children to the Media and Communications Team “We know there are many Sierra Leoneans who are generous people and normally during this time of the year other compatriots also help less fortunate people. As a foundation our focus is on women and children, so this Christmas the foundation decided to provide care and support for children. Our children are the future and we need to do all we can so they can grow up in a more caring and compassionate society.”
In attendance at the feeding event were Members of Parliament, Senior SLPP Stakeholders, members of Julius Maada Bio Women’s Wing (UK), the Secretary of the Maada and Fatima Bio Foundation amongst others.
It can be recalled that on Thursday, 17th December 2015, the Maada and Fatima Bio Foundation also distributed Christmas gifts to 250 children in three major hospitals in Freetown- 34 Military Hospital, Connaught Hospital and Princess Christian Maternity Hospital also known as “Cottage Hospital”.
It is also important to note that in August 2014, at the formal launching of the Maada and Fatima Bio Foundation in Sierra Leone, the Rtd. Brig. Bio explained in his speech the idea of establishing the Foundation “When in 2013, we conceived the idea of establishing a Foundation, we were thinking of vulnerable children who may have either lost their parents or are so poor that they cannot afford basic education, health care and food and other basic essentials of life. Already, we have thousands of such children in every community, chiefdom and district in this country whose plight has been worsened by the continued economic hardship and growing poverty as well as inadequate schemes in place to care for them. It was against this backdrop that my wife and I thought of establishing a Foundation to help these needy children.”
