One of the beneficiaries receiving the food item.
Kufre Etuk – Uyo
Akwa Ibom – Cross River State Association, in the Netherlands had donated food items to more than 200 households in Ikot Mbonde Itam in Itu Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom.
Presenting the donation on behalf of the group on Friday to beneficiaries, Mr Mfon Effiong, said that the donation was sent by Akwa Ibom and Cross River indigenes resident in Netherlands in Europe as palliative to the community.
Effiong said that the donation was burnt out of sincere love and feelings the group have for the people during this lockdown due to Coronavirus pandemic.
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“The criteria for picking beneficiaries are; those that have no source of livelihoods in this difficult period, the vulnerable and the elderly, you can ask them. Even those that have source of livelihoods for now their businesses are lockdown because Coronavirus.
“The donation came from indigenes of Akwa Ibom and Cross River resident in Netherlands in Europe. We are very happy and grateful for their benevolence.
“The items will reach the four families, at least each of the family is having not less than 100 households. Since we know the quantity sent to us, we have to randomly select people so that it will go round,” Effiong said.
The Village Head of Ikot Mbonde Itam, Eteidung Godfrey Akpan, thanked the group for their kind gesture especially at this time of lockdown.
He urged other well meaning Nigerians in the society to emulate the group and be of help to their community in any little way, to alleviate the harsh economic situation people were passing through.
“For what we have seen today, we are very grateful to the Almighty God in the first place, and we thank our brothers and sisters in diaspora for giving us this palliative. It is a relief in this trying period and we are very grateful
“To these our brothers, who have the heart to send these to us at this time, we say may God bless them,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Miss Idongesit Sunday, said that the donation came in good time, adding that the people have been lockdown for one month now without going to work.
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“I thank God for being one of the beneficiaries. I thank those of my brothers and sisters that sent these items to us. In fact for one month now we have not gone out to do anything to end a living.
“The economy is really biting hard on the less privileged. These gesture from our brothers and sisters in Netherlands will not be forgotten,” she said.
Our Correspondent reports that items donated included; rice beans and garri.