After he got stuck in Ghana during the lockdown, this UK resident set up a charity to help the vulnerable

Tom Russell ended up being stranded in Ghana due to the COVID-19 lockdown regulations, contrary to the one week intended stay that he had initially planned.

Russell, a UK resident who got stuck in Ghana due to COVID-19

The UK resident and national visited Ghana to source opportunities to expand local Ghanaian businesses to the European market.

Although he was worried about his stranded situation, his entrepreneurial skills and passion for helping people has seen him dedicate his time to help the vulnerable.

READ MORE: COVID19: Fashion brand, Pistis Ghana donates 1000 face masks to Kayayie at Madina Market

Tom Russell alongside his friend Alfred Kwarko, set up a charity called Give Back Ghana, when COVID-19 forced the borders to close, meaning he could not get home.

He told GhanaWeb that the idea of the charity is to help the most vulnerable families in Accra by providing them with some basic need essentials by supplying food and sanitation boxes.

Russell who works in the export sector, said: “It soon became pretty clear we could help on a wider scale. So we sat down and put together an idea for these boxes to put together the essentials for an Accra household to live on for a week.”

The aid boxes, which cost ¢50 ($8.70) to put together, contain 3 kilograms of rice, spaghetti, tinned mackerel, tuna, sardines, tomato paste, as well as toilet roll and hand sanitizer.

The charity has been able to reach 2750 people in 12 areas of central Accra, he told GhanaWeb.

“So the staples of a Ghanaian diet are rice and fish and a lot of tomato paste goes into there with sunflower oil. And that essentially gives you the basis for most dishes to cook up. Obviously, it’s quite a simple box. There are no delicacies, unfortunately. But it’s the classic stuff that will keep people going for a week,” Russell said.

Give Back Ghana has been able to form a relationship with a local supermarket in Accra, which supplies them with the goods, as well as joining forces with another charity to transport the boxes across the city.

The charity has been selected to receive a significant community engagement grant from the Grundfos Foundation to the sum of ¢125,000 ($21kUSD).

“Using the donation received from the Grundfos Foundation will make us provide in excess of 2000 food and sanitation boxes to vulnerable families living in the informal settlement of Agbogbloshie in Central Accra which is commonly known as the World’s largest e-waste dump”, Russell told GhanaWeb.

‘Intimidating at first’

After having his original flight back to the UK canceled, Tom has been in constant contact with the UK government, but as of yet has not had a date set for his return home.

“At first, that was a bit intimidating, not being able to get home. We’re so used to being able to travel at any given moment, to get back to loved ones, or to move around so freely. But this project has definitely helped take the mind off the fact that I am stuck here,” said Russell.

Ghana was the first African country to ease its lockdown measures, but with the borders still closed and millions living in poverty, Give Back Ghana’s packages are received well across the capital.

Source: Ghana Web

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Sponsor

spot_imgspot_img

Latest

PICHA is launching a visual diversity campaign to change the visual depictions of black people in media

In order to bridge the existing gap of diverse and inclusive imagery of black people and communities, PICHA, is rolling out the VisualActivist.Me campaign.

Genevieve Nnaji just blessed our feeds with these timeless photos

Queen of Nollywood, Genevive Nnaji has blessed our timelines with new and breathtaking photos of herself.

Peace Hyde is going global with all new season of Forbes Africa” My Worst Day” series

The leading business talk show on the number one business magazine platform, Forbes Africa My Worst Day with Peace Hyde, is set to launch...

We have the Verdict!! Here’s a look at the best and worst dressed personalities at the 2020 Golden Movie Awards

Like every red-carpeted event, most people who attended the Golden Movie Awards looked exquisitely stunning with a few badly dressed folks.

Two Ghanaian designers, Afua Biney and Steve French were selected to join Gucci’s Design Fellowship Program

Two young designers from Ghana, Steve French and Afua Biney have been selected by Gucci as fellows for the Gucci Design Fellowship Program.