The Coordinator of the Disaster Risk Reduction Team (DRRT), Umar Mustapha Sillah, commonly known as U. Sillah, has on Tuesday, November 16, 2020, said that the Team usually feeds orphans and less privileged people in society.
The Disaster Risk Reduction Team is a non-profitable organization which operates in Bramaia and Khonimaka chiefdoms in Kambia district in the north of Sierra Leone.
He informed that they currently have over 60 children whom they usually feed in both chiefdoms. He added that they distribute to them items like soap, food stuff, books, uniforms and many other basic facilities in order to encourage them and make them feel as though they are part of their community. He said that they also intend to target schools as well.
“The children are encountering lots of challenges because they don’t have parents; their guardians usually deprive them of their rights to education. The guardians usually restrict them from going to school in a bid to relegate them to doing domestic works and farming activities while their own children attend school. They are also encountering medical problems,” he continued.
He said that, their guardians never take them to the hospital for proper medication whenever they need medical attentions; instead prefer the native herbs.
He added, “We have taken this opportunity to change the stories of those orphans and the vulnerable by providing them their basic needs and send them to school.”
He added that they usually visit communities in the chiefdoms, and search for such children in need of help but sometimes face difficulties to get them due to the distance they usually cover and the attitudes of their guardians.
He said that some of the kids are entirely on their own with some kids with no parent or guardian.
Umar appealed to the government, humanitarian organizations and other NGOs to support them in their quest to better the lives of the orphans and other people who are vulnerable.
He said, “The children need food stuff, clothing, medical, shelter, school materials and other basic needs.”
By Ibrahim S.Bangura
26/11/2020. ISSUE NO: 7958