MONROVIA, June 28 (LINA) – Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has dedicated a modern one-room apartment and donated assorted items to elderly widow in the Kpelleh Town Community in Paynesville outside Monrovia.
The dedication and donation was as the result of podcast by the Director General of the Liberia News Agency (LINA), Kwame Weeks, in early February this year..
Speaking tn Kpelleh Town on Monday, VP Taylor said a few months back she saw a story from the LINA Director General, which prompted her to build a modern one-room apartment and donate an assortment of goods to Madam Yata Kerkulah.
“I was touched by my compassion when I saw this story and I decided to help her because she could be my grandmother. I have special affinity for elder people who don’t have the means of survival,” the VP stated.
She added that her grandmother left in the house because she was unable to walk and later died in the civil war, noting that people forget that in times like these everyone has been affected somehow by the war and they need to be looked after.
“I want to thank the adopted family which has been taking care of her. This morning I brought her some supplies for the family and the old mom,” she pointed out.
VP Taylor handed over the house and gave 20,000 Liberian dollars with seven bags of rice to the family and also gave an envelope as well as some materials and a cell phone.
She emphasized that government’s responsibility is to provide an enabling environment for people to live and prosper, stressing that it is impossible for government to take care of everybody because it doesn’t work like that.
“We are not like other countries that have homes for old folks, and if we have a system like that the old ma won’t be sitting here, but will be in one of the old folks home and people will be taking care of her but we haven’t gotten to that point yet,” the VP asserted.
Upon receiving the house key and donation, MaYata Kerkulah thanked the Vice President for her kind gesture and remembering her at this toime.
“May God bless you for coming to my rescue, different woman born you to be my daughter, am so happy for this day,” Yata stated
Also speaking, Saturday Bargbah. who has been the caretaker of Yata Kerkulah applauded the VP and the Director General of LINA, for the initiative, saying:“I thank you and everybody that come here today.”
According to Bargbah the Old Lady came to his place one night requesting him to allow her to sleep for the night and from that day she has refused to leave his premises.
Bargbah narrated that the Old Lady explained that she lost her children and husband during the war and she doesn’t have any one to take care of her and as such she wants to stay with his family.
