At least 205 households in Pakalinging, Jenoi, Si-Kunda and Toniataba have received bags of rice, sugar, onion, potato and cash from Qatari food aid.
The D400,000 worth of food items was donated to the communities by a group of Qatari donors through Alieu Manjang, a native of Pakalinding and the distribution was coordinated by Ansumana Kinteh, the village’s diaspora liaison on Saturday. Mr Manjang, has for the past four Ramadan mobilised funds from his Qatari friends to help his community. This year’s beneficiaries were divided into three categories – the 52 most vulnerable households went home with a 25kg bag of American rice, 5 litre of cooking oil, 10kg of sugar, half bag of potato, half bag of onion, 62 households considered to be the second most vulnerable households went home with 25kg bag of American rice, 10kg of sugar and 5 litre of cooking oil while 91 households considered to be the least vulnerable received 25kg of American rice.
Addressing the presentation attended by elders and senior regional government officials, Ansumana Kinteh, the project coordinator commended the donors through Alieu Manjang for their continuous support to Pakalinding and its surrounding villages and prayed for the continued wellbeing of the donors. Former GFF president and native of Pakalinding, Seedy MB Kinteh also thanked the donors for their generosity, and assured them that the donated items will be put to good use. Whiles praying for the wellbeing of all the donors, he appealed for the sustainability of the benevolent given the increased number of vulnerable families who will constantly need assistance to be able to sustain themselves.
The popularity of the yearly distribution of Qatar food aid within the communities has caught the attentions of the local and regional authorities who also graced this year’s event. The governor of LRR and a representative of Mansakonko Area Council were among dignitaries who graced the occasion held at the Pakalinding Arabic School.
LRR governor Seedy Lamin Bah commended the donors for their magnanimity and thanked them for complimenting government’s effort, adding that it is the government’s duty to make sure that nobody goes to bed hungry.
“As a third world country, the government cannot provide such services to the masses alone so we need donors to complement our efforts. In this regard, I want to appeal for more support next year so that many communities will benefit,” he said.
Governor Bah said while majority of those who attended the presentation have went home with something, others who might have the whole there will go home empty handed. He appealed to the Qatari to mobilise more funds for the forthcoming Muslim feast of Tobaski, saying many head of households cannot afford to buy the sacrificial ram.
The happy beneficiaries prayed for the donors and urged to keep up the momentum.
