The donation was received by the governor of North Bank Region, Lamin Saidykhan on the 13th of July 2021 at the Vice President’s Office.
Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, the Vice President said the donation to the victims is the president’s contribution to the people of the North Bank region. VP Touray said that the President noted with great dismay the extent of the damage caused by the windstorm that hit the whole country and decided to take the initiative to donate in his individual right towards the unfortunate situation.
Presenting the money to the governor of NBR Lamin Saidykhan, the Vice President Dr. Isatou Touray expressed her condolences to the victims and the families whose loved ones were lost in last week's disaster. She stated that the situation at hand is not a man-made one but natural and due to some environmental issues.
She said it was because of the extent of the damage caused by the disaster that the President prompted to go and have first-hand information about what happened around the whole country and commiserate with the families.
Vice President Touray said that whilst the President was away in NBR, she was delegated by the president to extend his condolences to the disaster victims in Darou Busumbala, who lost their eight-year-old son and donated forty-thousand dalasis to the family.
She calls on philanthropists, entrepreneurs, individuals, and the private sector to emulate President Barrow’s initiative to donate generously to support the victims.
Receiving the donation, the governor of North Bank Region, Lamin Saidykhan, stated that now he has peace of mind since he was traumatised by what he saw across the region. He said the D2 Million donated by the president is appreciated and a welcome gesture from the primary duty bearer. He said even though all victims cannot be comforted at the same time, the donation will go a long way in assisting them. He also stated that some people are homeless right now and others are faced with different situations as some lost their loved ones.
He also appreciated the good leadership the president demonstrated to reach out to the population and reaffirming his commitment to the population.
By Sarjo M. Camara
Information Officer Office of the Vice President
