Author Bambay Sawaneh, Concord Christian Church Gifts Backpacks to 250 Pupils in Gbendembu Chiefdom

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson

In partnership with Concord Christian Church of South Carolina, Bambay Sawaneh, the Author of the book “Under the Mango Tree '' on Sunday took another giant step towards boosting education in Sierra Leone by donating backpacks to 250 less-privileged school going pupils.

A special event marked the donation held at the Concord Christian School Mahanwa where U.S based philanthropist David F. Fant together with Author Bambay Sawaneh handed over high-quality backpacks to 250 beneficiaries from Mahanwa village and it’s surrounding in the Gbendembu chiefdom, Bombali District, Northern Sierra Leone.

Before the donation, a church service and baptism was held at the God’s Fellowship Christian Church and the Mahanwa stream led by the respected Man of God, Pastor Don Cox from Concord Christian Church, Anderson, South Carolina who together with Brent Merlo, Byron Guffe, David Fant, Pastor Menyongai and other successfully baptized 20 Christians on the day.

The donation according to Mr. Sawaneh is fully funded by his good Christian friends in the United States who responded to his plea for the provision of backpacks for the less privileged school going children of his home town Mahanwa and its satellite villages that have since been using plastic and raffia bags as backpacks to attended across their primary and secondary schools.

“Although physically challenged, I felt fulfilled on this day to see that less privileged in remote villages in my chiefdom are gifted quality backpacks to help them protect their books and other learning material to attend schools, all thanks to my good Christian friend David F. Fant and his team for choosing to support education in Sierra Leone,” Mr. Sawaneh said.

Mr. Sawaneh who’s regard as the light of his home town that has less than 50 houses for his age-long philanthropy through his agricultural, religious and educational work that has over the years enhanced youth livelihood and the construction of a church plus a six classroom school in Mahanwa village, further appeal for additional support and partnership from other well-wishers including the government of Sierra Leone.

He disclosed that his next goal is to electrify his home town and to establish a clinic to further rescue his people and complement government’s effort while actualising the saying of “don’t ask what your country has done for you but what you have done for your country.

On behalf of the beneficiaries and their parents and guardians Mammy Iye Karbgo thanked the donors for donating to her two orphan grandchildren and other less privileged children. “The bags are nice and worthy. We could not have afford to buy them as parents and guardians, thanks to our blessed son of the soil Bambay and his friends for putting smiles on our faces and our children's faces. We’ll ensure to monitor the children to take good care of the back pack as we continue to pray for additional support towards them for the betterment of our children and villages,” she pleaded.