By Foday Moriba Conteh
As a way of alleviating their plights, the Baptist Global Response in the United States of America has on Thursday 8th December 2022 donated assorted items worth millions of Leones to affected victims of the Looking Town and Ascension Town August 2022 flood as most of their properties were gutted down by the flooding. The donation took place at Kingtom in Freetown.
The donated items included fairly used clothes, cooking utensils, plastic buckets, mattresses, bundles of zinc, cartoons of nails, etc.
Giving a background of the donation, the Baptist Convention of Sierra Leone, Executive President & Head of Mission, Rev. Dr. Joseph S. Fornah, stated that the vision of the Baptist Convention of Sierra Leone is a union of committed churches and institutions empowered by the Holy Spirit for sustainable holistic ministry in Sierra Leone and beyond.
He intimated that as a responsible ministry that seeks the welfare of all regardless of tribe, race, ethnicity, religion they saw it befitting to make the donation out of the strong conviction that such could be helpful especially when the fire disaster destroyed properties and left thousands deprived.
Rev. Dr. Joseph S. Fornah informed the gathering that the donation that is meant to help victims cope with the stress they are going through and to rebuild their lives will further drive home the love of Christ which the church wants to demonstrate to those affected victims and show them that as a church they stand together in their trying times.
He maintained that the victims were devastated due to the unfortunate incident that befell them as the flooding left the victims not only homeless but also vulnerable as they lost all their properties including beddings, cooking utensils, clothing, cash and other valuable household properties.
He ended by expressing appreciation to the Baptist Global Response in the United States of America for supporting the donation process and further admonished beneficiaries to make good use of the donated items in order to support themselves and their families.
Isatu Kamara, one of the beneficiaries, commended the Baptist Convention of Sierra Leone for donating the relief items, which she said, are very important in terms of cushioning the negative impacts of the flooding on them as victims.
She disclosed that during the flooding they lost everything as they are currently challenged, furthering that with the donation received such will greatly help in supporting them and their families.
Yusuf Conteh, another victim, also expressed appreciation to the Baptist Convention of Sierra Leone for the kind donation.
He underscored that things are not really easy for them at the moment, maintaining that after the flooding many families have been going through hard times but said with the assorted items donated to them such will help them and their families slowly rebuild their lives.
He called on other organizations to follow the footprint of the Baptist Convention of Sierra Leone towards supporting victims.
