In a heartfelt gesture of appreciation, the Executive Director of the Spelling Bee Foundation, Mohamed Cassius Kamanda, paid a courtesy visit to the Managing Director/CEO of UBA Sierra Leone, Mohamed Alhajie Samoura, on Thursday, March 20th, 2025. The visit aimed to recognize UBA Sierra Leone’s unwavering support for the Spelling Bee Foundation’s mission to empower children through spelling and correct English usage.
During the meeting, the Spelling Bee Foundation Executive Director, Mohamed Cassius Kamanda, expressed profound gratitude to UBA Sierra Leone and UBA Foundation for their commitment to community development. “There are other financial institutions capable of supporting such initiatives, but UBA Sierra Leone demonstrates its commitment to people by sponsoring projects like ours,” he stated. Kamanda further noted that, as the Managing Director of UBA Sierra Leone is a young person, he understands the importance of impacting not just individual communities but the entire nation of Sierra Leone.
Kamanda presented a report on last year’s Spelling Bee competition, which also served as a proposal for this year’s event. He highlighted the foundation’s belief in giving back to society and formally presented a prestigious award to UBA Foundation through UBA Sierra Leone. The award, inscribed with the words, “For their exceptional contributions and dedication to excellence in empowering children through spelling and correct English usage through the Spelling Bee Foundation,” was described by Kamanda as “coming from the heart of the Spelling Bee.”
In his response, the Managing Director, Mohamed Alhajie Samoura, accepted the award on behalf of UBA Sierra Leone and UBA Foundation. He reiterated the bank’s commitment to giving back to communities and society, stating, “At UBA, we believe in making a meaningful impact that contributes to the development of our country.” He highlighted the bank’s Foundation National Essay competition as one of the ways UBA prepares the next generation for leadership. “These young people are the potential leaders of tomorrow, and we are dedicated to empowering them,” he added.
The Managing Director continued by saying that UBA’s philanthropic efforts extend beyond Sierra Leone. “We do not only do this in Sierra Leone but in 20 different countries where UBA operates,” he explained. “Giving back to society is embedded in UBA’s DNA.” The meeting concluded with both parties expressing mutual appreciation and a shared commitment to fostering educational excellence and community development.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) is committed to being a socially responsible company and role model for all businesses in Africa. As the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of the UBA Group, UBA Foundation is committed to the socio-economic betterment of the communities in which the bank operates, focusing on development in the areas of Education, Environment, Economic Empowerment and Special Projects. The UBA Foundation was incorporated in January 2004.
