Stagecoach tycoon awarded African honour
12 March 2009
PRESS RELEASE
(Issued on behalf of Ann Gloag OBE)
Ann Gloag, co-founder of the transport company Stagecoach and former UK Businesswoman of the Year, has been admitted into the Order of the Star of Africa with the grade of Commander, in recognition of her support for the people and the country of Liberia.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, Africa’s first and only female President, honoured Ann Gloag yesterday (11 March) at a ceremony attended by the Vice President, members of the national legislature, cabinet ministers, diplomats, UN officials and staff of the JFK Hospital.
The investiture followed a dedication ceremony at the JFK Hospital in the capital Monrovia to celebrate the reconstruction of the west wing of the hospital which was funded by Ann Gloag through The Gloag Foundation.
The renovation, which cost approximately $1.2million, will help restore a range of healthcare services to a country that was devastated by 14 years of civil war and is the first step in the JFK Hospital regaining its pre-war status as one of Africa’s top teaching hospitals.
Speaking at the ceremony yesterday, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said: “Ann Gloag’s support is a demonstration of the power of those who care. Her support for the healthcare system in Liberia is exceptional and her spirit of caring, sharing and dynamism demonstrated throughout the project ensured the successful implementation of the renovation work.
“The honour of the Order of the Star of Africa is a special recognition of the contribution Ann Gloag has made in support of the country and its people.”
As part of the renovation, a dedicated surgical unit to treat women suffering from obstetric fistula has been established at the request of Ann Gloag who set up the Freedom From Fistula Foundation last year.
Obstetric fistula is a devastating condition that renders women incontinent after prolonged and obstructed childbirth yet is treatable and curable in more than 85% of cases.
Ann Gloag set up the Freedom From Fistula Foundation in order that some of the two million women in Africa who suffer from the condition can be cured, allowing them to lead a life free from shame and isolation.
Speaking about receiving her honour and the JFK Hospital project, Ann Gloag said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this award. It is a great privilege and I am delighted to receive such recognition from President Sirleaf, a woman I greatly admire.
“Working with the President, the health department and the people at the JFK Hospital has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and the people of Liberia are extremely fortunate to have a President with such vision and dedication to rebuild the country for its people.
“I am particularly pleased about the establishment of the obstetric fistula unit which will treat the thousands of Liberian women who currently live in silence and shame. All women deserve proper healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth and it is disgraceful that in the 21st Century millions of women in Africa do not have this.
“The unit at the JFK Hospital will help change that and I will remain committed to supporting the hospital and the people of Liberia.”
