By Foday Moriba Conteh
On Thursday 28th May 2020 the Inner City Mission for Children under the Christ Embassy Church donated food items to hundreds of less-privileged, disabled, blind, pregnant women, youths and other disadvantaged people at the Regent Squire Municipal School on Lightfoot Boston Street in Freetown. Over 500 people received food items worth Le 30 million.
Aminata Shamit Koroma of the Directorate of Nutrition in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation revealed that the donation is a demonstration of the love and concern the church has for the poor and marginalized, especially during this global coronavirus pandemic and that the church is the body of Christ that has provided relief items to vulnerable groups.
She further observed that the donation is very important and thanked God for it stressing that it is part of Government support to vulnerable groups to combat the outbreak revealing that food is one of the pillars in Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and commended the church and its members for the gesture assuring that the food items would be judiciously utilized.
Aminata Shamit also appealed to the beneficiaries to strictly and always practice the preventive measures to curtail the spread of the virus.
On behalf of the Mayor, Mrs. Stella Mary Smith of the Social Services Department of the Freetown City Council expressed thanks and appreciation to the Christ Embassy Church for the gifts, that the Mayor has distributed facemasks and hand washing stations in all Peripheral Health Units in the city to contain the spread of the virus but observed that social distancing, especially in markets, is a major challenge.
The representative of the Sierra Leone Police Force revealed that the church has demonstrated love and care for the less-privileged and hoped other individuals and institutions would emulate the sterling example.
Councilor Mateneh Conteh of Constituency 125 said Christ Embassy Church is one of the biggest churches in the country and acclaimed it for the gifts.
Representatives of the Emergency Operations Center, the police, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the Freetown City Council and the councilor of Constituency 125 also made statements some of whom asserted that if the coronavirus does not infect one it would affect him/her and that the donation is a big gesture.
Most of the beneficiaries expressed thanks and appreciation to the church and its members for the donation.
Offering of prayers and distribution of the food items climaxed the event.
