By Foday Moriba Conteh
As part of their continuous support to the less privileged in the country, the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone H.E Hu Zhangliang, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone, has on Monday 10th May, 2021, donated a batch of food items to the United Council of Imams in order to support needy Muslims as they are now ending the observation of the Holy Month of Ramadan. The handing over took of the food items took place at the Chinese Ambassador’s Residence on Spur Road in Freetown and was witnessed by the Minister of Social Welfare, Baindu Dassama among other personalities.
The donated items include 6.25 tons of rice, 1,250 liters of cooking oil, 2.5 tons of sugar and 450 kg of salt, were received by the United Council of Imams (UCI) for further distribution to the needy.
Ambassador Hu said that the donation is a gesture of friendship and thanked the Hon. Minister of Social Welfare and the UCI for their coordination. He also expressed his good wishes, through the UCI, to Muslims in Sierra Leone and wished them a joyous Eid Al-Fitr in advance.
He said that the handing over of the consignment of food items donated by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Sierra Leone to the United Council of Imams is to support needy Muslims as they are observing the Holy Month of Ramadan, adding that the move by the Embassy is to supplement the good efforts of the Government of Sierra Leone and other institutions in supporting Muslims at this material time.
The Ambassador noted that he is with the strong conviction that the United Council of Imams will undertake the moral responsibility of handling and facilitating the distribution of the donated items in order for them to reach the targeted beneficiaries within the quickest possible time.
On receiving the donation, Alhaji Dr. Mohammed Habib Sheriff, the President of UCI and other senior Muslim leaders thanked the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone for the kind gesture and its continued support. They said that the food items came at the right time and assured that the items will be used for their intended purposes.
The Minister of Social Welfare, Baindu Dassama, on her part and on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Social Welfare expressed appreciation to the Chinese Embassy for what she described as a positive gesture describing it as something huge. She further assured the Embassy that all the donated items will reach the intended beneficiaries.
