Accra, May 16, GNA – Humanity First, a Non-Governmental Organization, in collaboration with the Ghana Association of Bankers (GAB), have donated 500 family food packs, valued at GH¢7,050.00 to some needy people in society to enable them to support themselves in this period of the COVID-19 crisis.
The food packs were distributed in Kotobabi, parts of New Town, and the Ghana Society for the Socially Disadvantaged Home at Kaneshie.
Each pack contained gari, beans, salt, sugar, one litre of oil, five kilos of rice, six canned fish and five sachets of tomato paste, and would serve a household of four.
Dr Kamal-Deen Ali, the Director, Disaster Relief Humanity First, who made the presentation, said they found it very important to assist these vulnerable in society to make living a little easy for them.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the lives of many locally and internationally, adding that, supporting these people would go a long way to put smiles on their faces.
Mr John Awuah, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Association of Bankers, speaking at the event said the gesture formed part of the Association’s social intervention programmes.
He said GAB had since the COVID-19 outbreak, mobilised GH¢10 million to assist frontline institutions to complement the Government’s efforts to win the fight against the pandemic.
Beneficiaries so far included: the Ministry of Health, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and Doctors in Residence.
Some pharmaceutical companies and some other bodies have also been assisted, he added.
In addition to contributing to the GH¢10 million fund, Mr Awuah said, each bank had gone directly into various communities to provide support.
“So, in total, our banks have done additional GH¢9.5 million direct contributions to the 10 million fund.
“But we also deal in social intervention activities, such as supporting faith-based organizations hence the collaboration with Humanity first,” he said.
He said GAB felt the need to support families due to the feedback they got when they assisted government to feed over 5,000 people on the streets during the lockdown.
“We realized that aside feeding poor people on streets there were some people in homes who needed this kind of support but were not getting thus the need to assist households also,” he added.
Mr Awuah expressed the hope that the items would provide some level of relief to the needy families who had been affected in many ways by the COVID-19 crisis.
The beneficiaries of the food packs expressed gratitude to Humanity First and GAB for the kind gesture.
Humanity First is a charitable trust established (under the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community) to promote and safeguard human life and dignity.
It is a non-political, non-religious, non-sectarian international relief and development agency that works with the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
GNA