Monrovia  – The Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Milton Gbehzohngar Findley has expressed his satisfaction with the launch and sustenance of the Public Feeding Initiative being undertaken by the Honorary Consul General of India, Mr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva.

By Alaskai Moore Johnson, alaskaijohnson@gmail.com

Honorary Consul General Sachdeva, who is commonly known in Liberia as Jeety, is primarily giving daily hot, ready meal to mainly the less privileged segment of the population in Liberia’s capital city, Monrovia.

Since Mr. Jeety began his feeding campaign this lockdown on May 4, 2020, he has handed out more than 30,000 plates of ready, hot meal to mostly disadvantaged Liberians residing in very poor neighborhoods in Monrovia.

“The Honorary Consul General of India, who himself is a distinguished entrepreneur in Liberia, has a history of excellent partnership and communal cooperation to the national development drive of Liberia. This, we believe, is germane to strengthening the already cordial relationship between the people of the Republic of India and the people of the Republic of Liberia,” Foreign Minister Findley said Tuesday, May 19, in a Ministry of Foreign Affairs release.

Foreign Minister Findley, who is the nation’s top diplomat, recalls that over the years, Mr. Jetty has been “overly instrumental in ensuring that the Republic of India extends concrete bilateral support to the people of Liberia through several donations, including a number of buses provided the Government of Liberia through the National Transit Authority (NTA) to enable easy access to public transportation across the country.”

He further stated that Mr. Jeety’s investment corporation — Jeety Trading Corporation (JTC) — has led a number of quick interventions through the provision of essential materials to the public since the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus disease in Liberia.

The Honorary Consul General on Wednesday, May 6, donated 10,000 doses of the vital selenium drug used in the supportive treatment of Covid-19 patients and others.

The Honorary Consul General of India, who himself is a distinguished entrepreneur in Liberia, has a history of excellent partnership and communal cooperation to the national development drive of Liberia. This, we believe, is germane to strengthening the already cordial relationship between the people of the Republic of India and the people of the Republic of Liberia

Foreign Minister Milton Gbehzohngar Findley

Honorary Consul General Sachdeva presented the two cartons containing 100 bottles each of the drugs to Dr. Jerry Brown, at the 14 Military Hospital in Margibi County, where Liberia’s Covid-19 confirmed cases are kept and being given supportive treatments against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2.

Again on April 11, 2020, Mr. Jeety led the Indian Community in Liberia and they made a donation valued more than US$40,000 through Dr. Jerry Brown to the 14 Military Hospital and to the army assigned at the hospital.

During that donation ceremony, he informed Dr. Brown that he had honored his request and brought in the specific things he had asked him for a day earlier. “During my conversation yesterday and day before with Dr. Brown, he was very passionate and worried about the safety of health workers at the hospital and requested for 10 aluminum doors (5-double doors) which without hesitation and waiting for the donation ceremony, we delivered it yesterday. Also he requested us for folding hospital beds, nurses’ uniforms, bed sheets, pillow, pillow covers, electric washing machine and electric dryer among others.  Dr. Brown, we are pleased to inform you that we have brought everything as part of our donation.” 

Further in the Foreign Ministry release, the Foreign Minister expects that Mr. Jeety’s public feeding initiative will go a long way in meeting the daily nutritional needs of underprivileged Liberians, as the nation continues to strive not only to combat this pandemic, but also in reducing hunger and poverty in Liberia and across the globe.

The Foreign Ministry further said that ending hunger and poverty is an ambitious goal set forth by the Sustainable Development Goals, a global commitment of nations towards achieving a better world.

“As a signatory to said commitment, Liberia continues to strive towards attaining said goal; indicative of our demonstrated commitment reflected in the pillars of the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD). All of the pillars of the PAPD are inextricably tied towards the ultimate goal of ending poverty, hopelessness and deprivation which have attended the livelihood of ordinary Liberians for several decades.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hopeful that other friendly partners will emulate the good examples of Honorary Consul General Sachdeva, by reaching out to those in need especially so, in such crisis time when the underprivileged are protocol-bound to stay home which isolates their chances of fending for their daily survivals. 

Monrovia – The Honorary Consul General of India, Mr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva, who is more popularly known in Liberia as Jeety, Wednesday, May 6, donated 10,000 doses of the vital selenium drug used in the supportive treatment of Covid-19 patients and others.

By Alaskai Moore Johnson, alaskaijohnson@frontpageafricaonline.com

Honorary Consul General Sachdeva presented the two cartons containing 100 bottles each of the drugs to Dr. Jerry Brown, at the 14 Military Hospital in Margibi County, where Liberia’s Covid-19 confirmed cases are kept and being given supportive treatments against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-nCoV-2.

Presenting the items to Dr. Brown, Mr. Jeety, said it is his humbled desire to do whatever little he can to do for the 14 Military Hospital and the people of Liberia. The donation was part of his personal gesture.

He further told journalists that he wasn’t in the position to disclose the amount he had spent in purchasing and having them brought to Liberia via DHL at this time when all commercial flights are banned from landing in Liberia. Liberia is presently locked down; only special chartered flights are allowed to taxi on the runway as the nation battles the virus.

Speaking further, Mr. Jeety, who is also a renowned Indian businessman in Liberia, said he is being pushed further to help Liberia because, “I just feel this is my home, so I must do whatever I can to help.” He has lived most of his years in Liberia than his home country of India.

“I was in the US and as the crisis was heating up, I ran back here to put all resources at my disposal—personal or from Indians living in Liberia—to whatever we can do for the people of Liberia,” he said. He further stated that he believes that Liberia is his home and whatever he can do for Liberia and Liberians, he will do. He stated categorically that he doesn’t need anything in return from the government; adding: “I just need blessings and prayers.”

“Let it be known that this is not the cure for Covid-19 but we use it as a supplement for our patients here, and we also use it as supplement for the staff working here. We use it to boost our immunity, to have a robust immunity just in case we get exposed.”

Dr. Jerry Brown, Head Doctor, 14 Military Hospital

Dr. Jerry Brown

Receiving the items, Dr. Brown, who was one of those leaders in the fight against the 2014 Ebola outbreak, expressed how elated they are for the donation. “Let it be known that this is not the cure for Covid-19 but we use it as a supplement for our patients here, and we also use it as supplement for the staff working here. We use it to boost our immunity, to have a robust immunity just in case we get exposed.”

Dr. Brown disclosed that they mix the selenium with other drugs, which he didn’t name, adding: “Using it as a supplement with other drugs seems to be working; we are getting results with the very little resources we have. We don’t have a lot of sophisticated equipment, as God would have it, we are yielding success.”

He said they had run out of supply of selenium and having realized that it can’t be found locally, he reached out to Mr. Jeety to help.

Eugene Fahngon

Deputy Information Minister Eugene Fahngon, who spoke on behalf of the government, expressed his heartfelt thanks to Mr. Jeety for his timely personal initiative. Mr. Fahngon further stated, “We want to use this occasion to call on all of our partners and all of the people helping us to see reasons to continue to help us.”

He told Mr. Jeety that President George Weah is very keen on donations that come from people like him.

“You may recall he asked all hands to come on board. He was very sincere when he asked everyone to get on board,” he concluded.      

Recent Donation

On April 11, 2020, Mr. Jeety led the Indian Community in Liberia and they made a donation valued more than US$40,000 through Dr. Brown to the hospital and to the army assigned at the hospital.

“To honor the health workers (50) including doctors, nurses, janitorial staff, lab assistants etc., assigned at hospital, we have brought for them two bags of rice per head and in sealed envelope separately US$100 for each health worker. For Dr. Brown, we have brought envelope of US$1000 along with two bags of rice. We are also giving 100 bags of rice to the gallant men & women of the Armed Forces of Liberia, who are serving at the hospital.”

India’s Honorary Consul General in Liberia, Mr. Upjit Singh SAchdeva

During that donation ceremony, He informed Dr. Brown that he had honored his request and brought in the specific things he had asked him for a day earlier. “During my conversation yesterday and day before with Dr. Brown, he was very passionate and worried about the safety of health workers at the hospital and requested for 10 aluminum doors (5-double doors) which without hesitation and waiting for the donation ceremony, we delivered it yesterday. Also he requested us for folding hospital beds, nurses’ uniforms, bed sheets, pillow, pillow covers, electric washing machine and electric dryer among others.  Dr. Brown, we are pleased to inform you that we have brought everything as part of our donation.” 

Mr. Jeety than also made one of the best announcements: “To honor the health workers (50) including doctors, nurses, janitorial staff, lab assistants etc., assigned at hospital, we have brought for them two bags of rice per head and in sealed envelope separately US$100 for each health worker. For Dr. Brown, we have brought envelope of US$1000 along with two bags of rice. We are also giving 100 bags of rice to the gallant men & women of the Armed Forces of Liberia, who are serving at the hospital.”

It was at this donation ceremony that he told Dr. Brown that he (Jeety) was just a phone call away and that whatever he needs for the hospital, he (Brown) shouldn’t hesitate to call him.