“This Is Not A Gift, This Is Hope”… AGL Invests Le 800,000 in Blind and Deaf Schools

By Shar I. Komba

FREETOWN, Sept. 25th (232news) –There was an emotional atmosphere both at the Milton Margai School for the Blind and School for the Deaf as AGL handed over a fully renovated administrative block and upgraded play ground in a Le 800,000 intervention.

General Manager, Mr. Maroun Abi Ad, said: “Today is not only about repairing and improving this school, or about the donations we are making. It is about investing in the children, their education, their dignity, and their future. Every child deserves a safe, decent environment where they can learn, grow, and develop their full potential.”

The Le 800,000 package for both blind and deaf schools included roofing, electrical wiring, plumbing, installation of electric fans, cleaning, water upgrade, renovation of playground and donation of food items, school kits and computers.

CFO Madam Fatoumata Bah said the gifts carry a message that blind and deaf pupils are valued.

Regional Director Captain Fabjanko Kokan delivered the emotional highpoint: “This is not a gift. This is hope, and it is a wake-up call. These blind and deaf children don’t need your pity – they deserve their right to a future. Together, we can turn silence and darkness into opportunity. You are valued, you are capable, you are loved and you are my life. You are my strength.”

Headmaster Mr. Sallieu Turay said the support has given hope and confidence to blind pupils, recalling that seven years ago AGL installed water tanks that transformed the school.

In a related development, the team also supported the School for the Deaf and Dumb in the same compound. The intervention included renovation of the school playing ground to address the children’s right to play.

Head teacher for the School for the Deaf and Dumb, Mrs. Cole, said the playing ground is critical for deaf children. “For deaf children, play is language, it is expression, it is freedom. Renovating the playing ground addresses our children’s right to play and inclusion which is often denied,” she said.

She added that the feeding situation has been dire. “The donated food items will address the feeding challenge the school is faced with. Many of our children come from vulnerable homes and struggle to have adequate meals. This donation will go a long way to support their welfare,” Mrs. Cole noted.

The school for the blind is celebrating 70 years of inclusive education.