Blog

The temperatures were 30 degrees, it was windy and chilly in the Twin Cities on February 21, 2015.  That did not deter the ExSSA Minnesota ladies from taking part in the largest Food Drive organized by the Minnesota African Task Force against Ebola (MATFAE) for orphans in the countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra-Leone.

The Ebola Epidemic has left over 16,000 orphans in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra-Leone leaving children with either one parent or no parents or immediate care givers. Most of these children have been shunned and ostracized from the communities they grew up in due to the stigma attached to the Ebola virus. The Ebola epidemic disrupted the planting season as farmers were either too sick or dying to do any farming.  As a result, the regions affected now face huge food insecurities. The few orphans who were lucky to be taken in by extended family members still face food insecurities. There simply is not enough food to feed the orphans as well as all the dependents.

ExSSA- Minnesota rose to the occasion by purchasing tons for food for donation to the cause. Their presence at the food drive added flavor to the event and drew the attention and admiration of the organizers and other volunteers who they wondered who the ladies in the lovely pink t-shirts who walked into the hall dragging their food donations by themselves. The chairman of the Task Force Abdullah Kiatamba publicly recognized ExSSA – Minnesota. Chapter President, Mrs. Susan Ewanga-Nkembe. She was asked to introduce her chapter members and explain the work of EXSSA-USA. Ms. LaBelle Nambangi, the Media and Communication Chair of the task force and a proud member of ExSSA-USA seized the opportunity to talk about the upcoming convention and encouraged all present to contribute towards supporting the education of the girl child in Cameroon.

Members took part in the drive from 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm and without skipping a beat, headed out to their monthly meeting. At the end of the day over 12,000 tons of food was collected to be shipped to orphans in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra-Leone. Well done ‘Sota Ladies.