By Omar Bah
United Kiang East Association, a non-profitable association formed by natives of Kiang East both in and outside the country, has recently donated bags of rice and cash to disaster victims in the district.
The donated items and cash amounts were handed over to fifteen disaster victims in Jeniery and Kaiaf in Kiang East by the association disaster committee headed by Abou Mass, who also chaired the presentation.
Speaking during one of the presentations, the president of the association in the Gambia Abubacarr Manka, said the main objective of the association is to respond to the needs and aspirations of the people in Kiang East, “We want it to catch-up with other developing districts in the country.”
He said the association is intervening in numerous developmental projects in Kiang East, “this donation is just one among many interventions that the association has been engaging in since its formation seven months ago.”
He said just in the last few months, the association has contributed over D10, 000 towards the development of education in the area, which he said yielded great dividend as students graduated with good grades in their last academic year.
Kiang, he said was marginalize by previous governments, “it is because of that we deem it necessary to come together to help ourselves and among our main objectives is to ensure that we build strong partnership among the people of Kiang.”
He also took time to call on the people of Kiang to take the association as their own.
Meanwhile, the chief of Kiang East District Ansumana Sanneh thanked the association members and urged them to keep up the hardwork.
He said the donation will complement government’s efforts, adding: “We are very impressed with the association and their contribution is seriously felt in the district.”
He called on the people of the district to desist from all politically motivated activities and work towards national development.
The National Disaster Management Agency LRR coordinator Lamin Saidy lauded the Kiang association for their intervention, which he said came at a very crucial time.
He said this year alone 2500 people were affected by heavy rain related disasters in LRR, with Jarra being the district affected the most, “so putting all this into account I believe the Kiang association’s intervention could not have come at a better time.”
The Kaiaf Alkalo Alagie Cherno Sanneh commended the association for what he called an unprecedented goodwill gesture towards his villagers and called on other villagers to register with the association.
Other speakers at the different presentations included the Kiang East National Assembly Member and host of other elders, all of them called on the people of the district especially the youths to embrace the association and make it their own.
