A total of 110 vulnerable households comprising persons with disabilities and single mothers in 10 communities in the North East Gonja District of the Savannah Region have received food aid to support their livelihoods during this period of COVID-19.

Each of the households received a 25 kilogrammes bag of rice, five litres of cooking oil and a bowl of dry fish.

Additionally, 327 adolescent girls from the 10 communities also received personal hygiene items such as sanitary pads, toothpaste, toothbrush, and shaving sticks to take care of their hygiene needs in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The communities included Daboashie, Kanyoyili, Jangyili, Daashie, Dakpemyili, Vogyili, Kpemchie, Nachindiyili and Sakpalle.

The items were presented to the beneficiaries by the Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (CCFC), an international child-centred non-governmental organization, as part of its livelihood support to fight the COVID-19 pandemic amongst vulnerable households in the country.

Mr Samuel Sabuli, Programme Officer at CCFC, who handed over the items to the beneficiaries at their various communities on Saturday, said the emergence of COVID-19 had affected the livelihoods of the households and their ability to provide some of the basic needs of their children hence the support to them.

He encouraged members of the communities to observe the safety protocols to curb the spread of the disease in the country emphasising to them not to forget about the children because “Children are key in whatever we do.”

The country recorded her first two cases of COVID-19 on March 12, and by June 13, the number of confirmed cases was more than 11,000 with 48 deaths.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on many businesses as well as the livelihoods of the people compelling the government to set up a stimulus package for businesses to keep them afloat.

Madam Hawa Yakubu, a person with disability at Daboashie community, who was a beneficiary, said her grandchildren looked up to her for support, adding that the items, would support their feeding.

Madam Azara Jabuni, a widow, who was a beneficiary, recounted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on her livelihood and said she had not been sleeping well as she always thought about it even while on her farm, which was affecting her productivity level.

Madam Jabuni said the items given her would help reduce her expenses and expressed gratitude to CCFC for the support.