Montserrado County – The Empowerment for Sustainable Initiative Foundation (ESI Foundation), over weekend distributed several food items to orphanages, churches, mental homes and vulnerable communities.
Report by Jaheim T. Tumu, [email protected]
The donation was part of the organization’s effort to support these group of people in the wake of the Liberian government’s stay-home order in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The ESI was founded in 2019 by Ms. Queser Dwah, a Liberian residing in the US.
Since the foundation of the organization, Ms. Dwah has been rendering assistance to Liberians back home before the outbreak of the Covid-19.
During the weekend, ESI took on the initiative to distribute over 50 25-kg bags of rice, a carton of cube, two 5-gallon containers of oil, and cash over 30 sachets of water to those institutions.
Beneficiaries included Winner’s Orphanage Home in Johnsonville, Elwuo Orphanage Home in Rehab, Mount Barclay Rock Crusher Women, ELWA Rock Crusher Women, Anointed Christian Fellowship, JFK Mental Home, Christ Ambassador Prayer Ministries in Thinkers Village, Better Life Prophetic Ministries, and Old Road Oneness Evangelistic Ministry.
Making the presentation on behalf of ESI, Kafia Holmes, said though the government has extended the stay-home time from 6 p. m. to 6 a.m. previously from 3 p.m. to 6 a.m., Ms. Dwah thinks that orphanages and underprivileged communities are bearing the brunt of the hardship during this time. “So they remain her priority even with the pandemic or not,” he added
Mr. Holmes said Ms. Dwah’s commitment to helping is as a result of her experience in Ivory Coast, after she witnessed her mother of six struggled to send them to school.
“Ms. Dwah felt the pains of being a refugee, so she feels the urge to give back to struggling communities, families and children,” Holmes said.
Also speaking, Emmett Makor, head of the team, said, Ms. Dwah contributed the amount of US$1,500 for purchasing of the food items and handing of financial purses over to churches and families.
In a separate remark, beneficiaries of the gesture expressed their appreciation to the ESI- Foundation for remembering them during this time.
Christ Ambassador Prayer Ministries head, Mother Mamie Bayan said that she is grateful to the foundation for providing for orphans and people living with disabilities.
Moth Bayan, whose ministry caters for orphans and people living with disabilities, said the home does not have international or local support. She told ESI that their gesture came just in time.
Mother Elerona Elwuo of the Elwuo Orphanage home expressed her delight to the founder for thinking about the children in this crucial time.
Also speaking, Winners’ Orphanage home mother, Agnes Boayou, said that she cannot repay Ms. Dwah for her contribution for the food items. She prayed that God will do the repayment.
Ms. Dwah as a refugee from a war ravaged country, Liberia, her mother could barely feed or pay their school fees. Her childhood experience has inspired her to give back to communities and prompted her to remain committed to working with communities to provide assistance through capacity building for vulnerable and marginalized groups achieve their full potential and contribute to society.
The foundation is currently working with communities in Liberia, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone to provide assistance through capacity building.