By: Abu.H. Kargbo
Sierra Leone’s leading mining company, Leone Rock Metal Group (LRMG), has donated NLe 7,000 to the Mass Communication Department of the University of Makeni (UNIMAK) in support of its annual dinner and fundraising event.
Scheduled for Saturday, May 31, 2025, at the University Auditorium, Fatima Campus, the event promises to be a night of glitz, celebration, and academic reflection. It will feature Anti-Corruption Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala as the keynote speaker.
The cash donation was presented by Bashir Koroma, Public Relations and Media Officer at Leone Rock, who also serves as the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Coordinator, during a brief ceremony chaired by Shebora Samba Kamara, Head of UNIMAK’s Public Relations Directorate and senior lecturer in the department.
Koroma, himself a proud alumnus of the UNIMAK Mass Communication Department, described the gesture as “payback time” to the institution that helped shape his professional journey.
“This support is another testament to Leone Rock’s commitment to giving back to the people of Sierra Leone,” Koroma said. “I’m proud to be part of this initiative that supports the department that transformed my life.”
He also took the opportunity to inspire current students, sharing his journey from being an ambitious student at UNIMAK to now holding a significant position in a company that employs over 7,000 Sierra Leoneans.
Senior Lecturer Paul Kamara (Esq.) and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Computer Science, Matthew Abdul Kanu, praised Koroma for translating classroom theories into tangible corporate achievements. They also commended his consistent support of the department’s intra-departmental debates over the past two years.
Emile Francis Jengo, Head of the Mass Communication Department, thanked Leone Rock for the timely and generous support, especially in a period of financial need.
Ibrahim Saidu Bangura, President of the Association of Mass Communicators UNIMAK (AMCU), expressed deep appreciation to the company for its confidence in his leadership and pledged to use the funds responsibly and transparently.
Leone Rock’s continued support to UNIMAK’s Mass Communication Department highlights its unwavering dedication to education, human capital development, and nation-building, complementing the Government of Sierra Leone’s efforts to invest in youth empowerment and academic growth.