The Smiling Coast Foundation in partnership with the New Freedom Project has donated 200 bags of rice to needy and poor Gambians in Brusubi and Marakissah to alleviate their plight amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

The foundation’s founder Bubacarr Manneh said: “we are here to help the underprivileged in the Gambia during this Covid-19 crisis.

“One of our main objective is to help needy students go to school. So no one should be dropped out of school because their parents could not afford school fees and other (basic) needs.” 

Mr Manneh added: “We also want to feed families in need so that no one would go hungry in this present time, “each one feed one”.

He said the foundation research showed that 60 percent of Gambians live below the poverty line. 

“This encouraged us do our little quota towards nation building as we know government cannot do it all. 

“We did our groundwork about the beneficiaries and it will shock you to know that most of the people receiving the rice (donation) today live below two dollars a day.”

He said his foundation will support more underprivileged families in the coming months if their fundraising plans go well.  

The foundation is partnering with the U.S based New Freedom Project in helping needy families in The Gambia.

Charmaine Minniefield, an African American visual Artist and founder of the New Freedom Project, said the partnership was to help needy families sustain themselves during this international crisis. 

She said $25 can feed a family of 5 for a month in the Gambia. 

“We love The Gambia. We see this as part of our coming home to find our ancestors and to find our lineage that we have lost when we were taken.’’

“As we are here we see the effects of the virus unfolded, we knew we needed to help families. So we are partnering with the Smiling Coast Foundation to make all this happened.’’

Dr. Ahmon Keller Bradshaw, who is also representing New Freedom Project explained that anywhere black people are, they most be ready to help one another. 

He urged Gambians stop relying on outsiders who don’t always have the best interest of The Gambia at heart.

“We can’t talk the walk but you just have to do the walk – and in that is the practical feeding of our people and ourselves, the uplifting of our people by ourselves,” Dr Bradshaw said.

“To be in the Gambia such a small country with 2.2 million people – that’s an easy amount of people to unify and Gambia can be a unity (model) for the whole continent.” 

Bakary Ceesay, a member of SCF called on the government to support their foundation to enable them meet the  expectation of needy Gambians.

He added that they will also be pushing for programmes that highlight other issues affecting Gambians such as child trafficking and the need for cultural tourism.