Tzu Chi and partners concludes 21 days of Hot-meal for fire victims, and served 33,075 dishes of food to 1,575 people affected by a fire disaster at Susan’s Bay, a slum community in Freetown.
This second phase, an extension of the original program, began on Monday, May 27, 2024, and provided food for approximately 1,575 individuals and 320 households in the Susan’s Bay community.
Initially planned as a 14-day initiative, the program was extended due to appeals from beneficiaries.
Ishmeal Alfred Charles, the Programs Manager of Caritas Freetown and the in-country Manager of Healey International Relief Foundation, expressed his gratitude to the sponsors and all participants for their dedication to serving humanity and making the world a better place.
He informed the beneficiaries that the team would return the following week to distribute items to the affected households.
Mr. Charles clearly stated that only those who were part of the registration process during the hot meal program would benefit from the upcoming distribution, with the exact date to be communicated soon.
Musa K. Bangura, a resident of Susan’s Bay and father of four young children, expressed his sadness as the hot meal program concluded.
“The impact of the hot meal program is invaluable, especially for us who have lost everything in the fire and have children to feed,” he said.
Bangura shared that his family has been surviving on the food provided by the program, allowing him to allocate his limited resources to other pressing needs.
“The intervention was timely, and because we have been receiving food, I’ve been able to save some money for my children’s health and education,” he added.
He thanked the Tzu Chi Foundation and its partners for their support, hoping they continue to spread love and restore the dignity of humanity.
The successful completion of the 21-day hot meal program highlights the crucial role of coordinated humanitarian efforts in times of crisis.
With plans for further support in the coming weeks, the consortium reaffirms its commitment to aiding the fire-affected residents of Susan’s Bay.
