MONROVIA — A national non-governmental organization Serving Humanity for Empowerment and Development (SHED) with support from the European Union (EU) has purchased and donated a consignment of essential drugs to four prison facilities including Kakata, Bondinway, Gbarnga and Sanniquellie Prisons.
By Francis G. Boayue
The drugs valued over US$ 4192.75, was donated Thursday at SHED’s office in Paynesville and will be used in treating malaria, skin diseases, infection, STIs, test kit for hepatitis, sanitary pads for female inmates, nose masks for use by inmates and other common diseases being experienced by inmates at the four prison facilities.
Making the donation to the Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation (BCR), the Executive Director of SHED Mrs. Joyce Q. Pajibo expressed thanks to the BCR through the Ministry of Justice and other Government institutions including the Ministry of Health for the smooth collaboration in the implementation of the European Union funded project titled “Strengthening Democracy and Respect for Fundamental
“We are here to make a donation of another consignment of drugs for the prisons that we are taking care of with support from the European Union. We have brought these drugs to be presented to BCR to be used for the inmates in our four prisons, in Margibi, Bong, Nimba, and Grand Cape Mount counties,” she disclosed.
The SHED Executive Director said with support from donors, SHED will continue to intervene and collaborate with the BCR in ensuring the protection of the rights of inmates including the rights of the inmates to medical care.
Receiving the drugs, the Director of the Bureau of Corrections at the Ministry of Justice Rev. Samuel Sainleseh Kwaidah, on behalf of Justice Minister, Natu Oswald Tweh, thanked SHED for the donation.
“I take this opportunity to acknowledge what SHED and the European Union have been doing. Even the support by SHED has been extended all the way to Grand Cape Mount County, making it four counties,” Kwaidah said.
He said the Government of Liberia has numerous challenges which do not need to be politicized but rather require institutions to come to the aid of the government.
“The drugs that have been provided by SHED over the period of time Including this one, I can tell you, there is no time very timely than this one to have this supply. We are facing the third wave of the COVID-19 and the prison is challenged, it is overwhelmed. As we speak, not one institution has donated even hand washing material to the prison,” Director Kwaidah added.
He narrated that the last batch of drugs provided by SHED brought great relief to the BCR in taking care of inmates at the four prison facilities and even providing COVID-19 preventive materials that are still in use currently in these facilities.
“I am happy with the level of collaboration. SHED has been a partner that we can talk to because where you get help from, is where you look up to. We are happy for the level of collaboration we have been enjoying from SHED and we are very grateful to SHED and we think these are the kinds of partnership we should be proud of”, the BCR Director expressed.
Director Kwaidah called on other non-governmental organizations to come to the aid of the BCR in the other counties. He noted “We hope we can have two or three more SHEDs because you are just taking on three counties and we have 15 counties. So, if other institutions can take on other counties doing what you are doing, we will be able to cover the country.”
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