MONROVIA – Amid the COVID19 pandemic devastation, the Liberian community in Sweden have embarked on a fundraising effort to donate rice to Liberian nurses at three of Liberia’s major hospitals.
The Liberian Swedish Association, LSA, is a non-profit Liberian community-based organization in Sweden. It is the umbrella organization for Liberians residing in Sweden, children born of Liberian parents, and Swedes that have once lived or work in Liberia – that are considered friends, and supporters of Liberia.
LSA President, David Ford through a radio interview on HOT FM 107.9, on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 along with the Vice President, Mrs. Koo Yelegon Joseph, stated that the initiative was decided by LSA members and supporters (Liberians in Sweden), as a way to boost support and appreciate fellow Liberians during this difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Ford further added that Liberians in Sweden saw the need to extend assistance to Liberian nurses during these direful times – nurses that are in the frontline at the John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Redemption hospitals in Montserrado county, and the newly constructed 14 Military hospital in Margibi county.
According to Mr. Ford, the reasons for giving back to Liberian nurses was due to the fact that these nurses risk their lives on a daily basis while caring for infected patients but get very little in return in terms of financial and other essential benefits. “Likewise, because Montserrado county, the home of Liberia’s capital city, Monrovia and its neighbouring county, Margibi are highly populated and has the highest number of COVID19 cases in the country.”
Moreover, Ford told HOT FM 107.9 that this initiative was made possible through the joint effort of Liberians in Sweden. Once it was decided and agreed upon on April 25, 2020, Liberians from across LSA 4 chapters in Sweden came together and organized a fundraising drive to generate the appropriate funding to support the initiative in order to make it a success. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic impacts, where many are faced with financial constraints due to redundancy, Liberians in Sweden did not hold back on making contribution, they went on to make immerse financial contributions for a good cause of supporting Liberian nurses. They believe that this will help to ease some of the stress that nurses undergo while working in order for them to relax and focus on the tasks at hand.
To make sure everything goes according to plans, the leadership of LSA collaborated with the Liberia Public Health Association Covid-19 Response Team, headed by Mr. Jerry Kollie and Dr. Jallah Kennedy.
After a series of communications and online meetings between both organizations, the distributions of the rice take place on this Friday, June 12, starting at 09:00 AM with the Redemption hospital, followed by JFK and then the 14 military hospitals. The total of 150 bags of rice was distributed among these hospitals, with each receiving 50 bags. Overall, a little under $3,000 USD was spent for the initiative, in term of cost of rice, logistics, and other miscellaneous expenses.
In a closing remark on HOT FM 107.9, LSA VP, Madam Joseph called on fellow Liberians to not decrease their efforts in combating the COVID-19 virus, rather they should continue to adhere to all the necessary regulatory COVID-19 preventive measures, such as constantly wearing of mask, regularly washing of hands, always observing distancing and or avoiding social gatherings.
