September 8, 2017 By Regina Pratt
Some of the donated food and none food items
Members of Women’s Forum Sierra Leone on Thursday 31st August 2017 called on government, NGOs and other stakeholders to help mudslide victims with petty cash that would enable them buy little items like coconut water (jelly), fruits, kola nuts and groundnuts.
President of the Forum, Mrs. Maude Regina Peacock, stated that the donated items which cost over Le10 million, was for the 207 survivors of the recent mudslide and flash flood disasters in various parts of Freetown that were sheltered at Don Bosco headquarters, Fort Street in Freetown.
The Forum observed that survivors are being well fed, but that they needed money to buy fruits, vegetables and coconut water (jelly) adding that when the team visited Don Bosco, one of the survivors explained that she was sent to buy kola nut when the disaster struck, killing her entire family.
The items were donated by the Global Women’s Network and Dr. Nana Pratt facilitated it while some financial donations were also made by member organizations and individuals of the Forum
Some of the items include 2 boxes of pampers, Saba soap, baby cereal with milk, SMA baby food, 1 cartoon Colgate toothpaste, 1 cartoon children’s slippers and shoes, eggs, soap and towels, 1 bag sugar, 1 cartoon tea bags, 1 cartoon eggs, 3 bags onions, 2 containers of five gallons cooking oil, cartoons of sardines, 1 cartoon Bama Mayonnaise, under-wears, brassiers and a suitcase of quality female items and petty cash which was donated to the oldest member in the home, 57 year-old Ya Mamie Mansaray.
Speaking to Ya Mamie Mansaray who used to mine stone at Mortormeh-the most hard hit community said she used the proceeds of her labor to construct a house which was also buried during the landslide.
Dr. Nana Pratt and Sally Adams of the Women’s Forum consoled the victims to take heart and trust God, while a representative of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs distributed the items.
Also on Edi ul Ahda (Friday September 1 2017), members of the Forum visited hospitalized survivors of the disaster at the Connaught Hospital, Freetown where they offered counseling, psychosocial support and prayers to the traumatized victims and their parents.