Edunations Provides Food and None Food Items to Rokasa in the Masimera Chiefdom By Hassan Bruz Northern Bureau Chief The restriction of the movements of People, Vehicles and Commercial Motor Bikes for a given period of time whiles all those engaged in the fight against Ebola proceed on a house to house search, is now been developed as one of the sure ways through which the virus can be eradicated .In the Northern District of Port Loko, the decision was reached at a special Taskforce meeting in which the Information and Communications Minister –Hon. Alhajie Alpha Kanu was prevailed upon to serve as Chairman of ‘Operation Surge’. This Operation was segmented into three phases with the principal objective of ensuring that the spread of the virus is stopped and to as well make sure that all Ebola related cases are brought out of the various communities to either Holding or Treatment Centres. As what I believe to be your right guess, such a decision is bound to affect the bulk of people in diverse ways. Apart from the Vulnerable Groups where you have the categories of the Disable and Poor, the impact is far more reaching in distant and deprived Communities. It will therefore interest you to know that about six out of the eleven Chiefdoms in the Port Loko District are comprised of deprived Communities. The bulk of the people in most of these areas are in no gainful form of employment. They either eke their living through subsistence farming or Petty trading. At the moment, what is supposed to be their Community Fare Trade Days have been put to a prolonged hold and they could no longer attend their weekly ‘Luma’ Markets. Things have since become too tough and rough with most People in these rural settings in terms of seeking out a living.. At Rosaka and Mabankra in Kombuya Section in the Masimera Chiefdom, the situation has been salvaged by ‘Edunations’- a None Government Organisation that is operating in that part of the District. The People of these Communities have benefited from a Consignment of Food and None Food items that comprised of bags of rice, containers of cooking oil, fish and every other ingredient together with a barrage of other edibles and utensils. It was a provision estimated at over Forty Million Leones. Bro. Samuel Sesay is the Country Director for Edunations and he doubled as Chairman of the Distribution of the Consignment. Addressing Beneficiaries at the Conference Hall of the Primary School constructed by Edunations, he said the donation was a humble contribution of his Organisation to help the People of Masimera, cope with the rules and regulations of the ongoing Surge in the Port Loko District. He said even though the decision to restrict the movement of people is not a bad idea, yet a lot of people were exposed to a series of sufferings as their normal ways of survival have been tampered with. Bro. Samuel Sesay said he was therefore very highly moved by the plight of the People of Rokasa, Mabankra and the neighbouring towns and villages whose situation he noted, would have become unbearable. The Country Director used the occasion to brief his audience about the activities of Edunations dating way back in 2006 when they commenced operations in Sierra Leone. He said they have since been operating in Bombali, Tonkolili, Koinadugu, and Port Loko Districts with the cardinal objective of promoting Education in these operational areas. Apart from Koinadugu where they had cause to construct a Maternity Ward for the Gbenekoro Community after it was surfaced as a community felt need, Bro. Samuel Sesay said, his Organisation has constructed both a Pre and Primary School at Rokasa in the Masimera Chiefdom which was in fact the venue for the distribution in question. Bro. Samuel Sesay in an interview with the Sierra Leone News Agency [SLENA], said they recruit their Teachers and pay attractive salaries to their Employees, and also provide teaching and learning materials to Pupils in the aforementioned Schools. He said the Organisation also provides uniform, and even pays the fees of each and every Pupil with support from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. He explained how the outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Country has compelled a lot of development Projects to an indefinite stop including his plan to construct additional Structures for both a Junior and Senior Secondary Schools at Rokasa in the Masimera Chiefdom, where the Organisation has already constructed the Pre and Primary Schools. The Country Director said he was quick to realise the impact of the virus and therefore wasted no time in enhancing the intervention of his Organisation. Speaking on some of the interventions so far made in the fight against Ebola, he said they had earlier actively participated in the sensitisation campaign to drum awareness on the potential of the virus to wreck havoc on the entire Nation if appropriate measures were not implemented. He said his Organisation conducted meetings and offered video clips on Ebola with emphasis on the mode of transmission and measures to prevent the spread of the disease. Bro. Sesay said they had also distributed Hand Sanitizers, Infrared Thermometers and Veronica Buckets together with Food supplies to the entire Rokasa Village when it was quarantined some months ago. He used the opportunity to expressed thanks and appreciation to the President of Edunations –Rev. Dr. Dean Weaver and Rev. Betsy Rumer of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Meanwhile the Section Chief of Rokasa- Pa Santigie, the Town Elder – Pa Alhajie Kamara and a handful of others who spoke on behalf of their respective Localities, expressed delight over what they said to be a remarkable and timely gesture. They made a special mention of Albert Baatilo Sam –the Administrative Officer, Mohamed Billy Fofanah – one of the Teachers of this Christian Organisation. The ceremony was climaxed by special prayers for the immediate eradication of the virus and the ultimate resumption of normal activities in the Country.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 15:07:09 +0000
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