By Foday Moriba Conteh
As part of their compassionate support to the victims of the fire disaster at Susan’s Bay, Caritas Freetown, with support from the Tzu Chi Foundation under the Partnering to Serve Humanity, on the 27th March, 2021 commenced a hot meal feeding program as an emergency response effort to residents of the community of which this medium learnt that the aforementioned hot meal feeding program will come to an end today, Friday 30th April 2021.
It was against this backdrop that beneficiaries of the said feeding program have pleaded to Caritas Freetown and their partners for a continuation of the feeding program. This humble appeal was made during an impact assessment carried out by this medium at the Susan’s Bay Community.
Speaking to this medium, Jariatu Koroma, leader for Cooking Zone 7 (Fullah Compound) at the Susan’s Bay community expressed discouragement over the closure of the hot meal feeding program which she described as not only important but very timely in cushioning the negative impacts of the fire disaster to them as victims.
She disclosed that during the fire disaster they lost everything and they are currently challenged in securing basic necessities especially food, furthering that since the implementation of the hot meal program in the community such has helped greatly in supporting them and their families.
Jariatu Koroma noted that things are not really easy with them at the moment but said with the hot meal feeding program it is helping them greatly especially their children, adding that after the fire disaster many families do not have food to feed themselves and their children and that it was Caritas Freetown who came to their rescue.
Aminata Kamara, who also happens to be a beneficiary, expressed appreciation to Caritas Freetown and Partners for the hot meal feeding program which she said has supported them and their families during such a critical moment of their lives.
“This hot meal feeding program has supported us greatly and if Caritas brings this feeding program to an end it will negatively affect us and our children. In that regard I am pleading to Caritas and Partners to continue the hot meal feeding program and even if it ends after the month of Ramadan, we shall be grateful,” she also appealed.
On her part, one of the Councilors of the Susan’s Bay Community, Madinatu Kamara also expressed frustration over the decision by Caritas to bring to an end the hot meal feeding program which she said has helped her constituents towards enhancing their livelihood sustainability.
She noted that since the implementation of the emergency response at the Susan’s Bay community such has contributed immensely towards the wellbeing of the victims especially children whom she said find it very difficult to access food. The methodology of coming with the condiments to the community and involving the victims in the cooking process was therapeutic.
Councilor Madinatu Kamara maintained that her constituents have expressed the view that they are already traumatized because the breakfast program was ended and they are trying to come to terms with that before they heard of the stopping of the hot meal feeding program.
“I want to be frank with you all if Caritas decides to end this hot meal feeding program my people will die of hunger and starvation, so I am pleading to Caritas and partners to put hands on deck in order to continue the feeding program even if they are able to continue it till the end of the Ramadan, we will be grateful as a community,” she pleaded.
After these concerns from the residents at Susan’s Bay this medium deemed it fit to contact Caritas Freetown in order to get their take on the said issue of which this medium was able to reach the Executive Director Caritas Freetown who also happens to be a member of the Partnering to Serve Humanity consortium, Rev. Fr. Peter Konteh who stated that they are delighted to have provided support and foster collaborative ties over the period furthering how they will remain grateful to the Office of National Security and the National Disaster Management Agency.
He noted that Caritas Freetown, with support from their partners, instituted the emergency response efforts at the Susan’s Bay Community as a true compassionate support to the victims of the fire disaster which he said was made possible with the huge support from Tzu Chi Foundation under the Partnering to Serve Humanity comprising the Healey International Relief Foundation, Tzu Chi Foundation, LANYI Foundation and Caritas Freetown, 29 days of hot meal feeding was made possible adding that additionally, they also got support from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Freetown to cover 15 days of breakfast for the victims and they also received further support from the Catholic Relief Services to cover 5 days of breakfast and also 5 days of hot meals.
He said, however, the challenging part of the information is that they are closing the hot meal feeding program today Friday 30th April 2021.
Rev. Fr. Peter Konteh revealed that at 11:40AM on Thursday 29th April, 2021 they received a high-powered delegation of over 29 individuals in their office on Savage Street demanding to see the Management of Caritas Freetown. Unfortunately, they were out of the office but they spoke with the other staff who were around and got himself and the Programs Manager on the phone of which he said the reason for the visit was mainly to thank Caritas Freetown and Partners for the work they have been doing and pleaded for the continuation of the hot meal feeding program to continue.
Rev. Fr. Peter Konteh said that as an organization they are ready to serve humanity but said they are currently challenged in terms of continuing the hot feeding program but said if they receive support from their partners, they are ready to continue till the end of the Ramadan.
He revealed that on a daily basis they are spending Le 5,550,000 on volunteers’ stipends, plus Le 2,000,000 per zone x 7 cooking zones for condiments plus over two 50Kilogram bags of rice per zone.
