By Mariam Williams
Health Promotion and Development Organisation (HePDO) in partnership Aging With a Smile Initiative (ASI), on recently donated food and sanitary items worth over D66,000 to 50 different households in Kanifing Municipality and Kombo North.
The presentation held in HePDO Office in Serekunda, saw the donation of items including 50 bags of 25kg of American rice, 50 galons of 5 litters cooking oil and some packs of sanitary items.
Speaking at the event, Executive Director of HePDO, Mr. Omar Ceesay, said they work on health promotion and development, adding there is a global Covid-19 pandemic which all are aware. He noted also that observing social distancing had also caused few challenges in terms of feeding; so for that being the case, they at HePDO, thought its important to reach out to some of the families facing difficulties with regards to feeding.
Ceesay further explained that, as an institution they thought it’s necessary that they mobilize resources to go to various communities and identify people who need support and provide them the necessary support.
Executive Director Ceesay revealed that the money spent in buying the items was contributed by themselves, and that the idea was exchanged with their Board Members who also did their own contributions as well as some of their friends living outside the country, who made all efforts to see the success of this donation.
“We partner with another organisation called Aging with a Smile Initiative (ASI) who also contributed half of what they are able to raise and that is all what you are all seeing here, today,” the gathering heard.
He added that, the donation is basically based on criteria, to wit: those who are above 55 years and above and are not gainfully employed, or they don’t have immediate family support, or they have health conditions.
“Today, we are reaching out to 50 different households in KM and Kombo North but this wouldn’t be one of its kind of support we will be renting to support the needy. We will continue to support them as well because that’s the only way we can make impact. Our intention is to make an impact by improving the living conditions of the needy and the most vulnerable people in the society,” the HePDO’s boss outlined.
Disclosing they intend to roll it out to the rest of the regions in the country, he added that they have invested 65-66,000 dalasis in buying these items.
“We will also be visiting them to provide free health services to them by checking their blood pressure and other things concerning health,” Ceesay promised.
Other speaker included Mr. Yusupha Sowe, Project Manager of HePDO, who informed the gathering that HePDO has been in existence since 1997 and they are working with communities with the main aim of serving various communities to the maximum.
“We thought it’s really important to help the needy ones in our communities,” he asserted.
