By: Haddy Touray
Hundreds of underprivileged families gathered on Sunday at Churchill Town as volunteers from the Vision Development Foundation distributed food items to vulnerable communities during the holy month of Ramadan.
The initiative, led by philanthropist and Chief Executive Officer Momodou Turo Darboe, forms part of the foundation’s annual Ramadan programme aimed at supporting needy families across the country.
Speaking to journalists during the distribution, the Director of Public Relations and Operations of the foundation, Saikou Fofana, said the programme is intended to bring relief to vulnerable families by providing essential food items.
“What we do here is to put smiles on the faces of needy people by distributing food items such as chicken, meat, rice, bread, dates and spaghetti. Sometimes we also provide some cash to help families meet their needs during the day,” he said.
Fofana explained that the foundation’s activities extend beyond a single community, noting that its operations cover various parts of the country.
“Our operations start from Kartong and extend to Koina, where the footprints of the Vision Development Foundation can also be seen. Every year during Ramadan we gather to distribute food to the vulnerable,” he added.
He disclosed that previous distributions attracted between 4,000 and 5,000 beneficiaries.
“The beauty of this operation is that anyone who comes here will go home with something for their family. Everyone receives the same items, whether it is bread, rice or cash,” he said.
Fofana further revealed that the foundation recently carried out a nationwide sugar distribution exercise targeting communities across all regions of the country.
According to him, the foundation imported 29 containers of sugar for the exercise at an estimated cost of more than 40 million dalasis.
“For the sugar alone, the calculation shows that we spent slightly above 40 million dalasis. This does not include other logistics or the additional food items distributed,” he explained.
Fofana said the initiative was inspired by the foundation’s leader, who was influenced by the advice of his late father to always support the poor.
He added that the foundation plans to expand its programmes by distributing livestock directly to communities to make it easier for families to access meat during Ramadan.
One of the beneficiaries, Isatou Bah, expressed gratitude to the foundation for supporting families struggling to meet their needs during the holy month.
“Supporting people is a noble gesture that every philanthropist should embrace. I pray that his wealth increases so he can continue helping vulnerable families, especially single parents,” she said.
The Vision Development Foundation pledged to continue supporting vulnerable communities across the country, particularly during the Ramadan period.
