By: Alieu Jallow
Aminah Faal, a Gambian based in the United States of America, says she wishes the government of The Gambia would pay close attention to the men in uniform, especially in assessing their plight.
The Fatu Network reporter caught up with Aminah Faal while she was distributing food packs to the officers who were on duty for the just-concluded OIC Summit in Banjul along the Bertil Harding Highway. When asked what motivated her to embark on such a gesture, she expressed her passion for supporting the officers, many of whom stand for long hours without food.
“I just do it based on humanitarian reasons, and as a Gambian citizen, I feel like I should do my part because they are serving us, so they deserve it. I just feel sorry for them,” she said.
As the summit drew closer, the demand for security officers on the Bertil Harding Highway increased, leading to many of them being deployed along the country’s double carriage highway. Most of them stayed for long hours without being served food to nourish themselves. Against this backdrop, Aminah was motivated and thrilled as a concerned Gambian to play her role in making the Summit a success. She started her food drive on Friday, 3rd May, where she served over 50 officers with food, fruits, and drinks as a form of complimenting their efforts in nation-building.
“I started with 50 packs of food, then 75, and then 100, but yesterday I doubled the amount because it wasn’t enough. Half of them will tell you they haven’t eaten yet, so I can’t just go back home like that. I have to call back home, and then we provide more,” she explained.
We tried engaging Aminah on the minimum amount she spent in providing these food packs and water, but she declined, noting she wasn’t doing it for public recognition but felt the need to support the men and women in uniforms, especially during this landmark event.
“They are here for us, and they are here to serve every Gambian. They have their own families and have left their homes to stand under the hot sun to ensure everything is going right. I feel like they deserve credit, so the little I can do will help,” Faal noted.
She outlined that seeing most of them struggle for transportation back home breaks her heart, especially yesterday shortly after the official opening ceremony of the Summit. Therefore, she empathized with them by providing some cash to facilitate their return home to their families.
Aminah is poised to continue her humanitarian gestures, especially for privileged people and men and women in uniform.
