By Peter Agengre
The Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocesan Development Organisation (NABOCADO), with support from the Catholic Relief Service, has gone to the aid of some persons of concern (refugees) at Sapelliga in the Bawku West District in the Upper East Region with assorted food items and toiletries worth GHC 1, 281, 114.63.
It formed part of their Christmas and New Year’s Cooperate Social Responsibility of giving hope to the underprivileged in society.
The persons of concern (refugees) came to Ghana in 2019 due to instability in neighbouring Burkina Faso and others as a result of the activities of jihadists that had displaced many of them. Over one thousand four hundred refugees from three hundred and thirty-eight households are said to be living in Kaare, a suburb of Sapelliga.
At a short ceremony to distribute some relief items, Bishop of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocese, Most Reverend Alfred Agyenta, said the Catholic Church would continue to keep them in prayer for the protection of God. He expressed gratitude to CRS for the funding.
“Wherever the church works, we do not look at the only the bodily needs of the people. Man does not live on bread alone. Our concern is also to see how we can let you understand that you’re also children of God. We will continue to sustain you by our prayers for your life. We are equally grateful to CRS for the benevolence to these people,” Bishop assured the people.
Country Representative of CRS to Ghana, Mr. Daniel Mumuni, noted that refugee crisis continued to rise, deepening deepen vulnerability of families despite decades of efforts to address the challenge.
“I’m deeply touched by what I’m seeing here today. This is a reminder to all of us about the harmful effect of war and of the security crisis that is pervading and affecting our region seriously today. We are feeling the effect of what has happened elsewhere. So,, I want to encourage all us particularly our country to continue to ward off some of these extremist violent and tendency,” Mr. Mumuni pleaded.
Each household received 50 kilograms bags of rice, maize, some beans, cooking oil, salt, and some non-food items like bathing and laundry soap, blankets, mosquito nets, sanitary pads, and buckets, among others, and GH₵320.00 cash. A beneficiary of the gesture, Madi Bukari from Burkina Faso, thanked CRS and the Catholic Church for the items.
“There is joy in our hearts today as we receive these items. Our tears have been wiped off today. We thought we were animals but we feel human through this kind gesture,” Mr. Madi Bukari said.
District Chief Executive for Bawku West, Mr. Issahaku Tahiru, praised NABOCADO and CRS for the intervention. He appealed to individuals and organizations to support the Assembly in their plans to build a school for the persons of concern.
