As part of measures to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the vulnerable, Good Neighbors, a South Korean-based Non-governmental Organisation (NGO), has offered support to more than 750 head porters (kayayei) in the Accra Metropolitan and Korley-Klotey Municipal Areas.
The support which came in the form of the provision of food items, hygiene materials, and education on the preventive etiquettes was under the “COVID-19 Emergency Livelihood Support” project.
The project which is being undertaken by Good Neighbors in collaboration with Accra Metro Health Directorate, and Neighbours Hands, an NGO based in Accra is being carried out in phases to provide support for a total of about 2,100 vulnerable living in Accra.
At a ceremony in Accra yesterday to present the items, the Country Representative of Good Neighbors, Mr Ilwon Seo said the Good Neighbours International, was a humanitarian and development NGO working in 36 countries and had been operating in Ghana since 2016.
He said even though its project was in the area of mobile health, which was being undertaken in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), USAID and Samsung, there was the need to support the vulnerable due to the impact of COVID-19.
Mr Seo said kayayei, who were mostly homeless female head porters, constituted one of the most vulnerable groups in the capital that needed attention.
He explained that with the pandemic expected to last for several months there was the urgent need to support such groups to ensure their livelihoods were not disrupted.
“This pandemic is expected to last several months at least during the year of 2020. Thus, there is an urgent need to support this group’s livelihood in the mid-long term perspective including basic hygiene awareness promotion as well as food distribution,” Mr Seo said.
He explained that the relief items which were being distributed in batches comprised food items and hygiene kits.
Mr Seo said with the completion of the third phase of the project, his organisation would move in to mobilise more funds to commence another phase.
He said the project had actually brought to the fore the magnitude of the challenges of the vulnerable in the country and would work to ensure that their plight was alleviated.
“Our relief activity is in the form of distribution of living items with hygiene education to prevent people from attracting COVID-19 and is being undertaken in phases within a period of three months. With the successes chalked I think we will go back, mobilise and come and support them in skills development.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
