Liberia: Cummings Africa Foundation Distributes Relief Items to Villages, Clinics in Nimba
by Selma Lomax
Ganta, Nimba County – The Cummings Africa Foundation has ended the distribution of essential food to more than 10 towns and villages, clinics, hospitals, orphanage homes, hospitals and clinics across Nimba County as part of its contribution to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Report by Selma Lomax, selma.lomax@frontpageafricaonline.com
The food distribution includes rice, palm oil, vegetable oil, supper gari (with milk and sugar) and detergent to promote handwashing and sanitation.
The Foundation said the total amount raised for its food distribution is seventy thousand United States dollars (70,000), of which it says US$ 25,000 was given as a grant to a local non-governmental organization, Teach for Liberia (TEL), to provide food and cleaning items to 3,000 teachers and students around the country.
The coordinator of Cummings Africa Foundation in Nimba County, Saye Garkpor, said while the coronavirus has severely impacted the economy and the livelihood of Liberians, it was an opportunity to demonstrate love and support to institutions in the fight against the virus, the poor and vulnerable members of society.
“Today, we are in Nimba County donating food items to families in towns, villages and institutions in the fight against the virus. The items include over 300 bags of rice, red oil, super garri,” Saye said referencing Cummings Africa Foundation to provide for the needy in society amid COVID-19.
“The Foundation has sent some relief items to villages in Nimba County to cushion the effect of the lockdown order on the rural dwellers,” he said.
The Ganta United Methodist Hospital was one of several health institutions that benefited from the donation. The hospital received 20 bags of rice, three gallons of red palm oil and six cartoons of super garri.
Allen Zomonway, administrator of the hospital, on behalf of the hospital, thanked Cummings Africa Foundation for its kind gesture and assured that the donated items will be properly utilized for the purposes they were meant for.
According to him, Cummings Africa Foundation has contributed much to the development of the hospital. “This is not the first time the Foundation is helping us. The hospital and its staff are humbled by the support of the Foundation top the hospital.”
Mr Zomonway hopes that the initiative by Cummings Africa Foundation encourages others to contribute. “Hope this initiative would encourage other organizations and citizens to take up similar initiatives to serve the hospital and its staff.”
“We want to commend the Cummings Africa Foundation for this gesture and assure him that the target people will get the donation
The town of Nengbehn on the outskirts of Ganta also received its share of the donation – 20 bags of rice, gallons of red oil, super garri among others.
The town chief, Oscar Yeanay, commended the Foundation for the gesture. “On behalf of the people of Nengbehn town, I say thank you for this laudable gesture toward the people of the town for the support in the fight against COVID-19 currently going on,” he said.
“We received your gift and he will pass the message to those from the town that are not present here today.”
On the strategy adopted for the distribution of the food items, he said that the needy would be the target in the sharing, just as the Cummings Africa Foundation directed. He said that the distribution would be devoid of partisan politics, favoritism and nepotism.
The Karnwee Clinic in Nimba’s eight electoral district received 20 bags of rice, gallons of oil and other relief items. Janet Debar, the community health supervisor of the clinic, who commended Cummings Africa Foundation, said: “The intervention of Cummings Africa Foundation during these trying times has shown that the organization meant well to touch the lives of the people rather than personal gains.”
The feeding project by Cummings Africa Foundation in Nimba County is another project in the series of feeding projects carried out in Grand Cape Mount County, Monsterrado, Margibi Counties.
A local Liberian vessel is expected to ship food and cleaning items to the southeast and the distribution of relief items is expected to continue. The Cummings Africa Foundation is a local non-profit organization established in 2015 by the Cummings family to provide humanitarian services to Liberians in the areas of education, health and business.
Over the years, the Foundation, according to reports, has spent over one million United States dollars in Liberia for scholarships, healthcare supplies, support for non-profit and charitable organizations. The Foundation currently supports the Alexander B. Cummings Model Science and Technology School, a STEM school located on Duport Road, Paynesville.