By Foday Moriba Conteh
In order to give succor to the destitute Susan’s Bay Fire victims, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone has on Friday 9th April, 2021 handed over a huge consignment of food items worth millions of Leones to the Minister of Social Welfare, Baindu Dassama, meant for supporting the Susan’s Bay Fire victims. The handing over ceremony took place at the Chinese Ambassador’s Residence on Spur Road in West End of Freetown.
The items that were donated include: Five Hundred (500) Bags of Rice (25kg/bag, 12.5 tons in total), Five Hundred (500) Cartoons of Cooking Oil (5L/cartoon, 2500 liters in total), Two Hundred (200) Bags of Flour (25kg/bag, 5 tons in total), Five Hundred (500) Bags of Sugar (5kg/bag, 2.5 tons in total), One Thousand One Hundred (1,100) Bags of Salt (0.9kg/bag, 990kg in total), One Hundred (100) Blankets.
Handing over the items, the Chinese Ambassador of China to Sierra Leone, H.E Hu Zhangliang, expressed heartfelt sympathy to the victims of the Susan’s Bay Fire disaster adding that it is his wish that they will overcome the disaster as soon as possible.
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 Ministry of Social Welfare of the Republic of Sierra Leone is to support the latter’s work in helping the victims of Susan’s Bay fire disaster, adding that this move by the Embassy is to supplement the good efforts of the Government of Sierra Leone and other institutions in supporting these victims.
He noted that he is with the strong conviction that the Ministry of Social Welfare will undertake the moral responsibility of handling and facilitate the distribution of the donated items in order for them to reach the targeted beneficiaries within the quickest possible time.
Receiving the items, the Minister of Social Welfare, Baindu Dassama, expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone for donating such a huge consignment of food items in order to support the Susan’s Bay Fire victims describing such as a move in the right direction and a show of fraternal consideration.
She described the Susan’s Bay fire disaster as a very serious situation stating how in the aftermath of the fire disaster various organizations and individuals have come and made donations, as a way of sympathizing with them, the affected persons, including His Excellency President Maada Bio furthering that the huge donation made by the Embassy came at a very good time maintaining how they will surely contribute towards cushioning the negative effects of the fire disaster on the victims.
The Minister said that, on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Social Welfare they are very grateful for the kind gesture. She further assured the Embassy that all the donated items will benefit the victims.
