COVID-19: 200 Nigerians in South Africa benefit from food relief donations – NICASA
Donation
By Fortune Abang
Abuja, April 18, 2020 (NAN) Mr Benjamin Okoli, President, Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA), said 200 Nigerians had so far benefited from food relief donations amid the coronavirus lockdown in that country.
Okoli said this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while responding to questions on ways Nigerians in the country are coping in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
He said that the first and second phases of the relief donations worth $5,000 had already been implemented.
According to him, the third phase will be worth about $3,000.
“About 200 Nigerians benefited from the food parcel relief donations.
“The first phase was done on April 6 and 7, while the second phase was done on April 8 and 9.
“The third phase is starting on Friday April 17 and will end on Saturday April 18. We maintain social distancing and ensure compliance to laid down restrictions on movement of people.
“We went to our fellow citizens’ homes to deliver their parcels to them in areas very close to them, where some walked to us and collected their food relief.
“No Nigerian has tested positive for coronavirus in South Africa.
“We advise our people to stay indoors and wash their hands regularly, wear facial masks when they have to go out, and generally keep safe,” Okoli said.
He explained that the beneficiaries were selected based on a simple process of collecting names and addresses of most vulnerable Nigerian citizens living in the country.
He said that those selected cut across ward levels as well as gender- and ethic-based affiliations.
He added that the association’s provincial leaders carried out the process in all the provinces in the first phase and would do so in the second phase next week.
He noted that the funds used to procure the food were sourced from Nigerians with support from the High Commissioner of Nigeria to South Africa as well as the Consulate General.
The NICASA boss further said that the project tagged “Feeding neigbours in need” reached out to Nigerians who were the worst-hit by the lockdown.
He, however, expressed apreciation to the Nigerian High Commission in that country, for the assistance given to the association to enable it to carry out the exercise successfully. (NAN)
FEA/YEE
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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim