By Bill W. Cooper
The government of Liberia through the COVID-19 Food Steering Committee yesterday continued their food distribution process within the Slipway community with over 1,223 residents seen jubilating as they walked away with their own share of the government’s food basket.
The Slipway community distribution process is said to be the second phase of the government’s food distribution food basket process since it was initiated, with the Bassa Community being the first slump community to benefit from it.
Items making up the food basket included rice, beans and a gallon of cooking oil, as each household head was seen walking away with 2 25kg bags of rice, a gallon of cooking oil and 28 cups of beans.
Speaking to a team of reporters during the distribution process, the Food Steering Committee Chair, Wilson Tarpeh said that the Slipway community which is also known as one of the country’s slump communities is their second stop, as it is also said to be the third stop in terms of services.
Rep. Gray, Minister Tarpeh And Others At Yesterday’s Distribution
Minister Tarpeh who is also the country’s Commerce Minister noted on May 23, 2020 that the team also went to ten localities ranging from orphanages, schools, and old folks home among others – stating that their visits in the slipway community was in continuation of the distribution process.
According to him, the distribution process was to cover approximately 1,322 households that were divided into four blocks ranging from block A to D, emphasizing that Block A had 217 households, Block B, 375; Block C, 395 and Block D 405 respectively accumulating the total number of households to 1,322.
He added that from the onset of the food distribution process, the initial package was a bag of 25kg rice, a gallon of oil and about 20 cups of beans – adding that with the intervention by President Weah, they later augmented it to what residents received yesterday as mandated by the President during his intervention.
Minister Tarpeh further stated that the initiative will be a health driven process in order for the team to reach to communities that are hardly hit by the pandemic, while at the same time lauded the leadership and dwellers of the community for their level of cooperation exhibited during their visit to the community and also promised other residents whose names were not captured on the chairman’s listing of receiving their own share of the package anytime soon.
In remark, the Slipway community Chairman, Lasana Sanor expressed the community’s joy and delight for the government’s food distribution package –stating that the package was timely amidst the increasing number of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country.
Mr. Lasana further stated that his only frustration was his residents who were left out of the process due to their absence during the time of the community registration, while at the same time reminded the government to live up to their promise to ensure that those residents get their own just benefit from the distribution process.
Some beneficiaries, Lady Karmo and Thomas Hill lauded the government for the food given them- alluding that though it’s long overdue, but stated that they were very excited to have received the food from the government.