Monrovia – The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is putting smiles on the faces of over 400 hundred Ebola orphans and vulnerable groups in five counties across Liberia with the distribution of food and non-food items as well as educational supplies.
The counties are Lofa, Montserrado, Bong, Margibi and Grand Bassa.
The distribution of items began on Tuesday December 20, 2016 in Montserrado County with seven orphanage homes benefitting.
They are the Hawa Massaquoi Safe Homes, Love A Child Orphanage, Rock of Divine and Marpu Transit Home. Others were Francs Gaskin Orphanage, Victoria Thomas Orphanage and the Antoinette Tubman Cheshire Home.
Gender, Children and Social Protection Minster Julia Duncan Cassell said the distribution is to put smiles on the faces of Ebola orphans and vulnerable groups, give them hope that the Government of Liberia cares and make them to feel a part of the Christmas season.
Minister Duncan Cassell thanked ECOWAS for the support and said the ministry will use whatever amount given it wisely in order to impact the lives of people in difficult conditions.
ECOWAS recently presented a check of seventy Thousand United States Dollars ($70,000.00) to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection for support to social welfare programs in Liberia targeting Ebola Orphans and vulnerable groups.
According to a Gender Ministry release, food and non-food materials as well as educational supplies were distributed to communities in Margibi and Bong Counties on Wednesday, December 21, 2016.
The distribution moves to Grand Bassa and Lofa Counties later during the holiday season.
In separate remarks at the sites of the presentation, the recipients which included mainly heads of orphanage homes thanked the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the President of Liberia and ECOWAS for the support.
The distribution is targeting Ebola orphans, the vulnerable, survivors and adolescent girls especially, those who have survived the Ebola Virus Disease in six 6 orphanages in Montserrado County and 12 communities in Bassa, Bong, Lofa and Margibi Counties.
The distribution activity is integrated with in two major objectives and an overall aim, of ensuring that the beneficiaries have access to post Ebola care and the receipt of food and non-food items as well as providing prevention messages and Ebola preventive materials and supplies to keep them safe.
Participants from these communities are provided post Ebola care, awareness and have a common understanding of the EVD; and take awareness as a tool to maximize the impact of the Ebola in the overall national Ebola response framework.