By Cherno M.S Jallow
The President, National Coordination of Farmers Association in the Gambia (NACOFAG), Mr. Musa Sowe, on Wednesday presented personal protective gears such as buckets, hand gloves, sanitizers and soap, among other detergents, to his staff, as part of the battle to neutralise the COVID-19 pandemic.
The donation was in response to the WHO’s advice for people to take preventive measures against invincible enemy of mankind.
The NACOFAG boss said at the presentation that, the donation was in support of the fight against COVID-19. In doing so, he stressed the need to observe certain precautions with protective gears.
Telling them that their welfare is his concern, the NACOFAG President promised also that the health of his staff would continue to be his first priority, acknowledging his staff are responsible for the day-to day-affairs of his Secretariat.
Sowe noted that COVID-19, which was discovered in 2019, has a negative impacts not only on health, but food security and nutritional security; and said he, therefore, found it important to support his staff in all forms to ensure that they are protected from this pandemic.
He used the moment to also advise them to continue washing their hands with soap and observe all precautionary measures to ensuring that the the Coronavirus Disease are driven away.
For his part, Mr. Alieu Sowe, National Coordinator of NACOFAG expressed appreciation over the donated items, opining it’s a clear indication of the concern that the president has for his staff. He described the gesture as very timely and a worthy cause.
According to him, the ultimate objective is to eliminate the COVID-19 in their community and continent.
The National Coordinator pointed out that NACOFAG is organisations that has its members everywhere, and are visiting the Secretariat often. That’s what led the president of NACOFAG to donate its staff with the protective gears; to enable NACOFAG staff regularly wash their hands to avoid contamination from the disease.
As a farmer organization, Coordinator Sowe decried, this pandemic is a great concern to them. “We need to be protected, otherwise if farmers are affected, it has a negative impact on food security,” he warned.
He informed that NACOFAG plans to conduct a nationwide awareness campaign for farmers, ranging from horticulture gardeners to youth, on the effects of COVID-19. But he divulged also that NACOFAG currently, needs seven hundred thousand (D700, 000) to embark on the nationwide campaign.
National Coordinator Sowe echoed the need for support to this crusade as the pandemic remains a great cause for concern.
