OA, Hope in Christ Orphanage pen US$20,000 MOU

October Association, a local nongovernmental organization, and the Hope in Christ Orphanage in Careysburg, outside Monrovia have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening and building the capacity of destitute kids at the orphanage.The MOU signed between the two institutions, which is valued at US$ 20,000 seeks to construct three classrooms to be used for kids at the charity in Careysburg.

Providing an overview of the program during a ground breaking ceremony over the weekend, a member of the October Association Joseph Johnson says OA is an humanitarian institution established by a group of young and old people with the vision to reach out to the less fortunate.
“We said to ourselves that we can have our birthday party spending money on things, food, and other things so we said why we can’t reach out to people, who are in need of some of the things we might be spending and will not benefit us.”

He notes that it was against this backdrop that they decided to organize themselves as people of like minds to form the organization through their fallen president Mrs. Theoline C. Sonpon, founder of October Association. Mr. Johnson says since the establishment, they have been involved with lot of charity works, one of which is with the Hope in Christ Orphanage, saying, “Last year we came to this orphanage with the understanding that what can we do for these kids; we try to avoid the bringing of food and clothes, because these things cannot stay forever, it is based upon this that this 20, 000 ground breaking project is being undertaken.”

For her part the current President of O.A., Mrs. Edith M. Greene says the MOU is intended to build a three-classroom facility that would include armchairs and blackboard for the kids. She says the reason they chose Hope in Christ Orphanage instead of other charities is because of the closeness of the orphanage, noting that O.A. doesn’t own vehicles to send workers far from Monrovia, and the orphanage has a story that touches us; “we saw kids sitting on one another, we saw it as a project to undertake.”

The association comprises young people who are born in the month of October. “We just don’t want to have a birthday’s club, our focus is on transforming orphanages into foster care this is what our motto says, and we unite to serve humanity.” Responding on behalf of the Hope in Christ Orphanage, its directress and founder, Mrs. Edith M. Zaizay expresses delight over the signing of the MOU, which she notes marks an historic event in the lives of the kids, and the orphanage at large.

“I am grateful to the October Association for taking up their time, coming here to identify with these kids, it is my hope that this MOU will not be the first and last, but the partnership between us will continue”, Mrs. Zaizay expresses.

By Lewis S. Teh-Editing by Jonathan Browne