Caravan of Mercy–Gambia on Thursday, 31st April, distributed donated food items to about 950 vulnerable families, at an event held at its Headquarters in Brikama, West Coast Region.
The food aid is composed of bags of rice and Sugar, and also gallons of cooking oils meant for the vulnerable people within the society, particularly in the rural areas of the Gambia.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mr. Pa Modou Sillah, the Overseas Coordinator of Caravan of Mercy in The Gambia, recalled that, this started in this country in 2006. He explained that it was first registered as a CBO [Community-Based Organisation] charitable organization but after three or five years operations, “we became an NGOs and we had the NGO status.We applied for it and met all the criteria and we were given the status by the NGOs Affair Agency”.
He indicated that after obtaining the NGO status, they had been operating in the Gambia and their intervention had been poverty alleviation; “we have been helping the poor and needy people through supply of clothing, food aids and also providing educational materials to children to ensure quality education for Gambian needy children and orphans, especially”.
Coordinator Sillah informed the gathering: “We have three institutions, one in Kuntaur which is a mega institution, that has a boarding sector and also a Qur’anic Memorization centre, which caters for about sixty (60) children, where we provide them with bedding, clothing, , and tutors-all free of charge.”
Sillah announced that they are building another centre in Serekundanding which is going to be bilingual school, including both Madrassa and circular education; and they would be operating both morning and afternoon shifts. He said the school is going to cover from Kindergarten to Grade 12 in both sections. He also spoke of Caravan of Mercy’s Madrassa in Medina Manneh, with a Basic School, Primary and Secondary attached to it.
The Overseas Coordinator pointed out that most of their operations and coordination around the country are done in Brikama where their head office is located.
“Today, we are trying to distribute food aid to three hundred (300) families in the urban areas, and about six hundred and fifty families in the rural areas will be benefiting,” disclosed Sillah. Justifying their decision, he reasoned that most of the NGOs operate only in the urban areas and the rural areas are the people who are hard-hit by poverty.
“So, I appeal to all other NGOs to consider provincial homes and villages where poverty is seriously affecting a lot of people because they have economic affairs,” he echoed.
According to him, the capacity of the donation had been tripled this year “because I wrote a proposal to our head office in UK where I appealed to them that there are lots of people sitting because of the coronavirus, at home they are not earning anything; businesses are earning less than before and Ramadan is also here.
“Due to that, I appealed to them to cover at least one thousand families, and they responded positively and now we are covering 950 families. We used to cover between three hundred to four hundred families but this year, we have tripled it.
“I am very happy and extending my sincere gratitude to all the donors, and any other person who has contributed immensely toward this noble project”.
Sillah, however, advised the beneficiaries to utilize the food items as people are at a very difficult moment, coping with the COVID-19. He reminded that people need to stay at home to save life, and went on to intimate, “we also want people to pray for the organization and the donors so that we can continue to do more than this year”.
Coordinator Sillah avowed that his aim is to cover the whole country, and he also thanked the Gambia government for creating the enabling environment for NGOs to operate without hindrance…, while acknowledging government’s support to them. “We are grateful to them ranging from clearing our containers from the Ports to the final destination,” he told the gathering.
For their part, the beneficiaries expressed total appreciation with the magnitude of food aid support rendered by Caravan of Mercy-UK to the communities of the Gambia. “We acknowledge the support and assure that the support has come at a better time and to the right people.”
