By Mustapha Jallow
The Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) on Tuesday provided food aid worth half a million dalasis (D500,000) to 50 needy pensioners.
The donation was part of the Corporation’s social responsibility to support their pensioners.
SSHFC made a similar donation in Ramadan in 2022. The items included 50 bags of rice, 50 bags of onion, 50 bags of sugar, 50 tin cartons of tomato paste and 50 gallons of cooking oil.
At a ceremony held at the corporation headquarters in Banjul, Saloum Malang, the managing director for SSHFC said the donation to the pensioners is part of the corporation’s initiatives to support its members who are bedridden for different reasons.
“This is just a small token that we hope will benefit the beneficiaries. We pray that all those who are feeling unwell will speedily recover,” he added.
While stating that it is the corporation’s firm belief that during this sacred time, he said “no member of our community should go without the basic necessities of life”.
“Therefore, we have meticulously curated a selection of essential items, including bags of rice, sugar, onions, potatoes, cooking oil, and tins of tomatoes, to alleviate the burden on our bedridden pensioners for Ramadan and Koriteh,” said SSHFC boss.
He also highlighted how the corporation has a long-standing tradition of supporting its community through medical assistance and providing support to medical facilities like the Ndemban Clinic.
“We also support youth endeavours such as the recent victory of the Gambia under-16 football team in Norway. We also supported Gambia’s participation in Afcon 2023 and the renovation works at the Independence Stadium in Bakau, just to mention a few,” he added.
Malang encourages his staff and the pensioners to embrace the spirit of compassion and solidarity.
“Let us come together as a community to uplift and support those in need. We wish our members and stakeholders a pleasant Koriteh in advance,” he said.
Alphonso Mendy, a pensioner and member of the pension committee, said the donation is unprecedented in the history of SSHFC. He commended the corporation for the gesture, saying it will go a long way to alleviating the financial burden face by his bedridden colleagues, especially during the month of Ramadan.
“This gesture is very timely and well calculated because all of those, who are benefiting from it were active members of the corporation,” he said.
He said majority of pensioners don’t have any other means to get income apart from social security.
“Initiatives like this should be expanded and done more regularly because those who are going to benefit need them badly,” he said.
