Plan International celebrates 75 years of excellence

By Elkass I. Sannoh

Plan International is one of the most renowned international non Goverental organisations which was established in 1937 out of the need to support children affected by the Spanish civil war.

Seventy five years thence the organisation has grown far beyond the boundaries of Spain to support and promote the dream, hopes and aspirations of children across the globe.

Yesterday, March 20, 2012, the organisation celebrated its seventy fifth birthday at Family Kingdom Resort at Aberdeen village in the west of Freetown.

In his key note address at the ceremony, the Country Director of, Mr. Augustine Allieu said he was very much elated to join the rest of the world in celebrating their organisation’s seventy fifth birthdays.

He told the gathering mainly of Primary and Secondary School pupils that Plan is a children organisation that strives to achieve lasting improvement in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning to their lives.

He explained that child centred community development is Plan’s child rights approach in which children, families and communities are active and leading participants in their own development.

In a related development, prizes were distributed to pupils who participated in the quiz competition that was organised by organisation at the ceremony, with Ellen Bangura, a Class Six pupil of D.T. Akibo Betts Municipal Primary School, Tower Hill in Freetown receiving the first prize.

The cutting of the birthday cake climaxed the celebration.