By: Nyima Sillah
Support Our Own Initiative has donated D200, 000 to The Gambia Red Cross Society as part of their efforts to fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
The money seeks to provide essential supplies and services for frontline workers to support public hospitals and all the public institution.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Alasanna Senghore, secretary general of Gambia Red Cross Society, said: “Covid-19 cannot be defeated by the government alone or an individual so we have to come together and support our own is the key word.”
He added: “we have to take responsibilities, take charge of our destiny, take charge of our problems and the reason why this is important is the fact that covid-19 is a global pandemic which is different from other disasters because it has affected all the countries.”
For her part, Yai Louise Ndure Bensouda, the group’s committee member said: “the initiative was formed by an Ex students of Marina International, adding that the donation was to help the Red Cross Society in terms of raising public awareness in sensitization campaign and meals that will be provided to the volunteers on daily bases.”
“We witness an acute increase of coronavirus cases in the Gambia related to people infected with the virus as well as death. As a result we decided to come together to form this initiative and decided to launch a campaign to join in the Anti-Covid-19 fight, “she added.
According to her, they are targeting to raise 20,000 Euros and “part of our online fund-raising initiative, we have raised about 86% of our target which is over 17,000 euros and cash other cash donations from those in The Gambia.”
She expressed gratitude to their donor communities for their tremendous support not only in cash but also in sharing their page and the activities they are involved in.
Since the start of the fund-raising, she said, they have achieved so many things from those abroad by supporting them with so many things underground in which they provided essential services to Sea View Hotel, Bundung Maternal Hospital, Red Cross Society, Kanifing Hospital and GCAA.