Africa Re donates to Ebola-hit countries

Africa Reinsurance Corporation, Africa Re, has announced donations to three worse hit Ebola countries to aid the fight against the dreaded disease in those nations. The donations, running into thousands of dollars, was presented by a team of Africa Re’s management led by Corneille Karekezi, the group managing director, before the Dean of Ambassadors at the Embassy of Uganda to the worst hit countries – Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

According to Karekezi, “The donation is an affirmation of Africa Re’s commitment to the continent and a message that Africa can triumph over the terrible affliction where over 5000 lives have been lost.”

Karekezi told the ambassadors: “The first reason why we came here to support the countries affected by the Ebola virus is because of identity. The company belongs to Africa, so we cannot sit down idle and not contribute to the effort to fight the deadly disease.

“The Africa Re is created by faith; African faith and today there are people and state that are in need of assistance that is why we are here 2014to show solidarity and also to remember that we belong to the Africa who had the greater view to create a company which is today a pride of the continent.

“Today, by making its modest contribution to the fight against Ebola virus, Africa Re is giving back to Mama Africa a small portion of what she has lovingly given the institution for close to 40 years.

“Aside from performing our Corporate Social Responsibility, business common sense dictates that we contribute to protect and improve our communities and stakeholders.

“Today, Africa Re proudly makes a financial donation to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, separately, to help in the fight against the dread virus in addition to other financial support given to other Nigerian and Liberian initiatives in this common fight, it is our fervent hope that our humble donation will make soon the Ebola Virus Disease a thing of the past.

“However, the reinsurance sized the gathering of the Ambassadors to market the organisation to 13 countries were yet to be members of the continent’s company.

“Today there are 13 countries which are not members; we have South Africa, Somalia, Namibia, Cape Verde, South Sudan, Mozambique and others though we do business with some of them yet they are not members.

“Like South Africa for instance, Africa Re’s business production centre is in South Africa, South Africa contributes to our income by one-third yet that country is not member, so we have a very solid cooperation with member and non member countries.”
Responding to the support, Al-Hassan Conteh, Liberian ambassador, expressed his country’s appreciation, stating: “We really appreciate the humanitarian gesture that African Reinsurance Corporation has just made to our brothers in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea which has shown another prove of the commitment of this cooperation concerning the live of all African people.

“It is the manifestation of the will of all Africans to fight and go to the rescue of each other, an attestation of Nigeria’s commitment to help its brother nations,” Conteh said.
“Nigeria was the first country that reached out to Liberia of which we are very grateful and we hope and pray to God that one day, we will be in the position to repay Nigeria because we can’t keep taking all the time, we have to give something back.
“We are very happy today for this solidarity as a founding member of the African Reinsurance Corporation, that the thought about their corporate social responsibility to make those donations to the affected countries.”
Also, Alfred Nelson-Williams, a retired major general and Sierra Leonean ambassador, who could not hold back his heart-felt joy, said his country has a Presidential Taskforce through which all support to fight Ebola are paid for transparency and accountability, assured that the donation will be used appropriately.
Gaoussou Toure, Guinean ambassador, said the support his country has gotten from Nigeria and its institutions have greatly helped to tackle the virus.Toure thanked Africa Re for the extension of support to his country, Guinea and the two others.