By Theresa Kef Sesay
On Tuesday 11 August 2020 the World Food Programme (WFP) donated a total of four vehicles and other items with a total value of $65,155 to line Ministries including the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and the Sun Secretariat in the office of the Vice President.
The donation ceremony took place on at the MAF warehouse at Kissy wherein the Deputy Minister 2 of MAF, Dr Abu Bakarr Karim received one DAF 1800 truck, one single cabin Toyota Land cruiser, two 20ft containers, two combo aqua tanks and rolls of perimeter barbed wires.
Handing over the items, the Representative and Country Director of WFP, Dr. Housainou-u Taal said that MAF is a very important partner to WFP and that the donation was to boost the efforts of the Ministry in their strive to increase agricultural production and improve food security in the country. He also mentioned other support that WFP has been providing to the Ministry in terms of transporting seeds and fertilizers to farmers to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 on food production.
“These vehicles will help the Ministry with the transportation of future inputs to farmers,” Housainou said.
The Deputy Minister on his part thanked WFP for the gesture and support rendered to the Ministry. “This is the kind of collaboration and partnership we expect,” he said.
Earlier WFP also donated a double cabin Toyota Hilux van to MBSSE. Receiving the vehicle on behalf of the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr. Moinina David Sengeh, the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Prof. Aiah A. Gbakima applauded the donation as a laudable gesture and said that it would enhance the capacity of the School Feeding Secretariat to monitor the National School Feeding programme.
The Minister of State Mrs. Francess Alghali in the Office of the Vice President remarked that the 4-wheel drive Ford Everest jeep donated to the Scaling Up Nutrition Secretariat would be used to mobilize multi-sectoral efforts in reducing malnutrition in the country.
The handover of keys to the vehicles concluded the ceremony.
