Regional News of Wednesday, 16 July 2003

Source: GNA

Tuna traders association donates to needy

Ashaiman, July 16, GNA - The Ghana Tuna Traders Association (GTTA) at Tema on Wednesday donated food items, clothing and toiletries worth 25 million cedis and an amount of one million cedis cash to the Missionaries of Charity, Sisters of Mother Theresa Home at Ashaiman as part of activities preceding its inauguration.

The items included five bags of rice, sugar, quantities of smoked/fresh fish, provisions, detergents, soap, fruits, three big containers of cooking oil and used clothing.

Speaking at presentation, Madam Mary Atsu, President of the GTTA, said they were moved by the plight of the 36 children, most of them orphans to donate the items to support the efforts of the Roman Catholic Sisters and promised to make the gesture a regular affair.

Sister Samoilla said the children; babies and toddlers were normally brought to the Home in very malnourished state indicating that their guardians were ignorant of the importance of balanced diet using local foods.

She stated that some of the children were orphans brought in by relatives of the deceased mothers while others were located during home visitation.

Sister Samoilla disclosed that four of the children were living with the HIV virus, which they contracted from their deceased mothers. Just as the ceremony was taking place a teenage girl from Keta in the Volta Region brought a nine month-old malnourished baby.