Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone receives World Vision's donation to quarantine facilities
World Vision continues to be committed to supporting the Government of Sierra Leone in limiting the spread of COVID-19 and mitigating its impact on children and their families. World Vision has provided assorted items to support those living in quarantine facilities and homes in Bo District, Southern Sierra Leone. The items were received by Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone at the southern regional COVID-19 Command Centre in Bo.
Receiving the items, which included food and non-food supplies, the Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone thanked World Vision for its numerous supports in various districts: “World Vision does not only target national structures but also targets district levels and provides support for coordinating structures. On behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone, I want to thank World Vision for this support and for the strategic partnership they have built within the district coordinating offices.”
The Vice President, Dr. Jalloh, informed World Vision staff that the Government of Sierra Leone is aware of the many challenges partners are going through. He implored the staff to be resilient and not to lose sight of the essential support they have been providing to families and children. He also stated that COVID-19 should be treated as a new agenda item and it should not impede the sustenance of livelihood support to women and girls. Dr. Jalloh concluded by assuring World Vision and the emergency command staff present at the donation ceremony that the Government is ready to engage external donors to support World Vision to continue with its excellent job on the ground.
On behalf of World Vision in Sierra Leone, Provincial Program Manager for Southern Province Omaru Sesay appreciated the Government for its continued partnership with World Vision: “World Vision is responding to the concerns that Government raised in various meetings on their challenges in giving support to people in quarantine facilities, and therefore we are focusing our attention and support to people in quarantine facilities - with keen interest on children.”
Sesay informed the Vice President that the over 150 million Leones worth of assorted items, which includes food and non-food items, will help people in quarantine facilities (especially children) to stay in a more encouraging state of mind especially during the difficult quarantine period.
The district coordinator of Bo's COVID-19 Response, David Fortune, underscored the importance of World Vision's donation: “This support will go a long way in helping people in quarantine facilities to stay in a more conducive environment. Most of the women in quarantine facilities have babies breastfeeding, and other children. Almost all of the 743 quarantine homes where this donation will be shared have children, so we are pleased that these items will meet the needs of those children.”
David, however, expressed concerns that there is an urgent need for fuel and mobility to help surveillance teams travel across the district, and that the non-availability of a laboratory in the district is presenting a huge challenge.
The items which will benefit over 700 people including women and children, included mattresses and pillows, bed covers, baby diapers, sanitary pads, napkins, hand-washing facilities, hand sanitisers, plastic chairs, megaphones, bags of rice and other assorted food items.