Monrovia — Montserrado County district # 8 Representative Acarous Moses Gray has identified with fire victims in the Buzzy Quarter Community in Monrovia, with a call for the elevation of the living standards of citizens, especially those residing in slum communities across the country.
Lawmaker Gray is an executive committee member of the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). He is also the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Executive.
Buzzy Quarter is one of the slum and congested communities in central Monrovia.
It can be recalled that at least 22 persons were made homeless and properties worth thousands of United States dollars damaged when fire consumed an eight-bedroom house in the area.
The incident compelled the victims, mostly women and children to seek refuge at the homes of nearby relatives and loved ones in the community and elsewhere.
But Representative, accompanied by his newly wedded wife Love Weah Gray and daughter presented the cash of US$1000 to the victims and promised to recondition the destroyed house in a month time on Thursday, June 23.
According to him, the money was intended to ensure that the victims replaced some of their damaged belongings, especially the uniform of the students, and provide food items and others during the time of tragedy.
"When we heard about the incident on the news yesterday, my wife said there was a need for us to come and do something. I listened and you said that 'my son will come and he will do good'. Things happened in life and I have come here along with my family to wipe your tears. We will not be able to help everyone but we are happy to be here".
He regretted the incident but promised to also attract additional contributions for the up keeping of the victims.
He said in keeping with the pro-poor agenda of the CDC led-administration, his office would exert efforts to elevate the living standards of the victims from one stage to another.
"I will do everything and use all of my influence humanly possible to reconstruct this place and I want to use this occasion to call on all of my friends in Liberia and across the world to join us to help lift another affordable life. When we say pro-poor, it is a transition point; it means to move from one point to another. I want to say you can now wipe your tears because; someone is here to wipe your tears".
"I will send my team here to do the assessment and by next month, we will start the reconstruction of this place to make it modern. I will talk to the President and my friends so that we can build this place".
Representative Gray also promised to provide monthly feeding for the victims until their home is reconstructed.
Empowering youths
In the same vicinity, Representative Gray also visited the famous Shatta Movement Bloc and put smiles on the faces of the locals.
The area serves as a home for scores of disadvantaged and less fortunate youths.
Speaking to the occupants, Representative Gray stressed the need for citizens to disengage from stereotyping and badmouthing those residing in ghettoes across the nation.
He emphasized that the unfortunate conditions of these citizens should not be misconstrued by other members of the public.
He said the negative branding of disadvantaged youths as "ghettoe boys who take in marijuana or get intoxicated" should be discouraged by all well-meaning Liberians.
Representative Gray maintained that as sophisticated as South Africa and the United States are, those countries host ghettoes as compare to Liberia and as such, those residing in the ghettoes also have potentials that must be recognized and supported.
"This is not my first time coming here. I brought television and other things here before and made a commitment. I am here today to fulfill that commitment. Some of those who grew up in the ghettoes and slums went to some of the best schools in this country. They are not responsible for the condition they find themselves in".
Representative Gray recalled that a similar initiative was launched by his office in the Capitol Hill Budget Bureau community, with about 10 persons already enrolled at the Don Bosco Technical Institute, acquiring various vocational skills training programs including electricity, masonry, driving, among others.
He pointed out that the move is intended to help ensure that these citizens become productive citizens in the future.
"We will entrust you with the money though we normally pay by ourselves. We pay the amount of US$200 at the technical and vocational school and I will begin the process with 10 students. We will leave the initial payment of L$100,000 today; we will add L$50,000 next week end when you go and register to the school. We will pay the amount of L$300,000 for the 10 persons".
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He presented three sets of jersey and a chest freezer to an unidentified lady to engage into commercial activities in the community.
The beneficiaries commended the CDC lawmaker for the gesture.
Receiving the money for the fire victims, Madam Kemah Beyan commended the CDC lawmaker for the initiative.
She recalled that this is not the first time Representative Gray has identified with she and her family members.
She prayed that the goodwill and humanitarian gestures from the Montserrado County lawmaker will shower multiple blessings upon him and his entire family members in the future.
"We just want to appreciate God for what the Honorable (Acarous Gray) has done for us today. We want to tell him thank you and he should continue his good works in our district", Ezee Kollie, CEO of Shatta Movement stated.
