Sierra Leone grateful for support to mudslide victims

The High Commissioner of Sierra Leone to Ghana, Mrs Umu Hawa Tejan-Jalloh, has expressed gratitude to all those who have supported victims of the August 14 mudslide in Sierra Leone.

According to her, individuals, corporate organisations and international donor agencies had supported the country in its crisis since it occurred.

“We have experienced so many disasters over the past years and I hope this will be the end of it. Everyone has rendered support to us, the world at large has responded as usual to our cries for help and we are very grateful,” she said.

Mrs Tejan-Jalloh expressed appreciation yesterday in Accra when the Ghana Association of Professionals in Sierra Leone (GHAPSIL) presented some clothes to be given to victims of the Freetown mudslide.

Presentation

The items donated included 10 bales of new clothes in addition to some used clothes.

It was done in collaboration with the Modern Women of Wisdom International, a humanitarian organisation, to support the victims in their difficult times.

The presentation was also in response to the distress call by the government and people of Sierra Leone following the mudslide which claimed the lives of over 400 people.

Receiving the items on behalf of the victims, Ambassador Tejan-Jalloh appealed to the public to continue supporting Sierra Leone.

Although the floods had not seized, it was her wish that things would get better for the country.

“We look forward to happier days in Sierra Leone. We are appealing to anyone who can help to support us. So far, help has been coming and we continue to appeal for more. Any little thing will do, nothing is too small and the people will appreciate it. It is very unfortunate, but they did not ask for this, it happened to them and they happen to be victims, so we will always bear with them and the country as well,” she added.

Support

Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the presentation, the Former President of GHAPSIL, Mrs Karen Akiwumi-Tanoh, said the organisation was contributing a decent amount of money to support victims of the mudslide.

“We are gathering a decent amount of money through contributions and we will pay it through Ecobank to support the victims,” she said.

The Chief Executive Officer of Modern Women of Wisdom, Miss Nana Ama Asantewaa Kwarkoh, stated that the humanitarian organisation was also soliciting for funds to support the victims, especially the orphans.

“We presented the items to show our solidarity to the people of Sierra Leone. Modern Women of Wisdom, as a humanitarian organisation, was touched by what happened in Sierra Leone, giving us good reason to support them. We are planning to go there in two weeks because we have been told there are a lot of orphans there now, and we are going to support them with more clothes, food and other needs,” she indicated.