By Olasunkanmi Akoni
An African cross-border payments company, Chipper Cash has partnered with ActionAid organization in distributing relief items to people affected by the flood in Bayelsa State.
The flood in Bayelsa left an estimated 10,000 people homeless and displaced.
The Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency said the flood affected no fewer than 1.3 million people in the state with a death toll at 96 souls.
The flood has displaced thousands of people and destroyed homes, businesses and farmlands, with no access to clean water.
People were also left struggling to find shelter as they lost their homes or were forced to move into camps.
The relief items distributed included: monetary gifts, food, water, blankets and hygiene kits, among others.
Marketing Campaign Manager at Chipper Cash Nigeria, Goldie Iyamu,
emphatically said, “”Our goal is to help as many people as possible get back on their feet after this tragedy. We are committed to assisting the people of Bayelsa State in Nigeria, who have been affected by the floods.
“We know that the lives of those affected have been greatly impacted and this initiative will help them get back on their feet again.
“This initiative will focus on helping families rebuild their lives after the flood and providing money and food items to residents in affected areas.
“We are uniquely positioned to help because we have access to resources that other companies do not have—and by partnering with ActionAid who have expertise in disaster relief.
‘We kicked off this initiative in Two Clans in Yenagoa: Gbarain and Ekpetiama. We targeted Female-led Households, the terminally ill and the aged as the primary recipients of the post-flood relief. With over 70+ household benefiting, we were able to bring hope and joy to affected families this season.
“One of these recipients was Rachael Oviri who is known in her community as the woman with a 5-year-old pregnancy, due to overgrown uterine fibroids, who before the flood was doing menial jobs on people’s farms and would sometimes work with Garri processors to make ends meet but post-flood due to many farmlands being destroyed, she has struggled to maintain any sustainable source of income.”
Iyamu said that “As a brand that is driven by our customers’ lives, we care deeply about the communities affected by the flood and have committed to providing immediate relief through our partnership with ActionAid.
“Thanks to the efforts of the on-ground team, funds have been raised to help flood victims in the affected areas—and I know it has been only a portion of what we can do. In addition to financial donations, we can effectively assist survivors in returning home faster.”
Comrade Ene Obi of ActionAid Nigeria has said, ‘The partnership with Chipper Cash is quite timely because we are in the Season where people’s hearts should be merry.
“It is indeed a pleasure that Chipper Cash decided to work with us to put smiles on the faces of families this Christmas. Seventy Households across the Gbarain and Ekpetiama clans in Yenagoa LGA were provided with a variety of food items and cash gifts.”
According to one of the flood victims, Savannah Brandy, “Christmas has come correct this year. I just bought a bathing soap, Vaseline, and groundnut to drink garri now.
“I will cook rice later tonight. I haven’t used soap to have my bath in a long time. I opened the package and saw vegetable oil, rice, garri, maggi, and money. Today is just a good day.”
The post Post-flood: Firm, ActionAid, partner, distribute relief items to victims in Bayelsa appeared first on Vanguard News.
