By: Kebba AF Touray
In a bid to help the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic in The Gambia, the QGroup Foundation has on Tuesday 9thMarch 2021, distributed eighty thousand (80, 000) facemasks in the tune of D2.5 to health, education and security institutions across the country.
The 80,000 facemasks were donated to key institutions in the country, namely Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH), Serekunda General Hospital, Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital, SOS Mother and Child Clinic, Brikama Hospital, Gambia Police Force and Gambia Armed Forces.
Each of the said institutions received 10,000 facemasks, except for Bundung Hospital and SOS Child Clinic, whom received 5000 facemasks.
The historic event held at the QCity, was a demonstration of the firm stance QGroup Foundation has taken since the outbreak of the pandemic to help protect the populace against the COVID-19 and provide relief assistance to the vulnerable people across the country.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in The Gambia, QGroup Foundation has supported D1 million to the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and provided D4.6 million worth of food relief package to the needy families nationwide.
QGroup Foundation has also donated D1 million to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), for the provision of sanitary materials such as facemasks, thermometer and hand sanitizers to ensure safe reopening of schools. The foundation has also slashed its data bundle price by 50 percent by doubling data allocation for most of its bundles as well as providing free access to Google GSUITE online program, with huge discount data rate for all the students from the UTG, Gambia College and GTTI.
Dr. Babanding Sabally, Representative of the Health Ministry said: “We are profoundly thankful to the QGroup for this significant donation. Protecting Health Frontline Workers is fundamental and a prerequisite for continued offering services at our health institutions.”
Colonel Doctor Alikali Conteh, Director of Medical Services for Gambia Armed Forces said: “I would like to hail the QGroup for this laudable donation. The significance of facemasks in the fight against COVID-19 cannot be overemphasized. It has proven to be very effective in mitigating the transmission of the COVID-19 disease.”
Alagie IM Joof, Assistant Police Commissioner for Gambia Police Force said: “Security of the Police Force against the pandemic is crucial, because the officials are also not resting on their laurels in the fight against the disease.”
Fatou Janneh, Representative of the higher education ministry (MOHERST), while congratulating QGroup for the benevolence, implored on the foundation to extend its humanitarian support to other institutions to improve the wellbeing of the populace, saying that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.
Madam Isatou Secka Jah, Executive Director of the QGroup Foundation, said over the past years, their foundation has been providing scholarships and learning materials to needy students to attend UTG.
She said they also offered medical support for surgeries and drugs for less fortunate and also support some families struck by disaster, such as fire outbreak and flooding.
“Many lives have been lost and the global economy as we know tumbled as many businesses crumbled and the future of children was threatened when education was disrupted. It is our hope that the masks will be used to protect our security forces, who are out in the streets to keep us safe,” she said.
“It is also our hope that the masks will be used to protect our students, teachers and staff our institutions of higher learning as they continue to pave the way for a brighter Gambia.”
From Left: Alieu Darboe, UTG Director, Facilities and Auxiliary Services.
