Project
Gambia People Feeding People, a Scotland-based charitable organisation, on
Wednesday donated food and other items worth D624,000 to St. John’s School for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
The
items included 200 bags of rice, 20 drums of cooking oil, 6 cartons of canned
beef, 10 cartons of tomato paste, 12 bags of flour, 10 bags of omo, 10 bags of
macaroni, 2 cartons of baking powder, 40 bags of onion, 10 cartons of garlic,
5kg of black pepper, 46 crates of chicken, 1 box of vinegar, and 2 boxes of
lime juice. It also included 4 cartons
of insecticide, 10 crates of soap, 8 packets of scrub.
The
Scotland-based charitable organisation has been supporting St John’s School
over the past three years.
Frank
Devine of Project Gambia said they have been supporting the school on different
dimensions but the key aspect of their support is the school-feeding programme.
He
said they try to ensure that the children have hot and nutritious meal everyday
because it is likely that when they (children) are feed in school they will
always be present.
“Education
is key for young people as it will give them a chance to escape poverty in
developing countries,” Mr Devine said.
Paul
Lafferty also of Project Gambia explained the first donation they made to St
John’s School was one thousand pounds; the second was five thousand. The amount increase to ten thousand pounds
and now twelve thousand pounds.
“We
have also donated seven thousand pounds towards the school uniforms for each
student in the school,” he said. “We
work had all year round to support these children.”
Mr
Lafferty explained that last year, they brought along with them a dental doctor
who helped educate the school children on dental hygiene and also took part in
marathons to help raise funds.
Daniel
Mendy, Principal St John’s School, expressed gratitude to the donors, saying:
“If I can pluck my heart and give it to them that is the best I can offer”.
He
said he understood that the donors have a target of raising up to a million
dalasi worth of feeding for children, especially deaf children who are less
fortunate, in The Gambia.
Amadou
Touray, chairman of St John’s School PTA, on behalf of the parents, thanked the
donors for the gesture.
“We
do not have enough words to thank you but we pray to the Almighty to give you
long life, progress and prosperity to be able to continue this,” he said.
