Monrovia — The Jackie's Foundation, a newly formed humanitarian NGO, has identified with disadvantaged youths, young men and women, who are locally referred to as 'zogos', by giving them food and other items.
The Foundation, whose Chief Executive Officer is the young Ms. Jackquelyn Kabeh Smith, also provided similar things to groups of old folks in the Duport Road and other communities in Paynesville City, outside Monrovia.
During the Foundation's maiden edition of distribution of bags of rice and the other items recently in Duport Road Community, Ms. Smith, who is based in East Africa, told the zogos, who were mainly young men and youths that even though she was back visiting her family members in Liberia, she thought it appropriate to share whatever little she God has given to her and still gives her, with them.
"I am so happy to see all of you guys; I have been praying for this day. This is not an easy thing but by the grace of God, we are going to get there. It is a gradual process. We are now inside; we just need you people's corporations, we will get there. We have come to start from little. At the moment, it is not big, but this is just to tell you guys that y'all sister is around," Ms. Smith said as she was washed with the street talks from the illicit substance users, all of whom are vagrants. She was amused with their slangs.
Before she had spoken, her Foundation's Country Director, James Enders disclosed to the zogos that the Jackie's Foundation will be sponsoring the rehabilitation processes of three zogos from each block and it has to be those who are willing to leave the bad habit.
"Gentlemen, this is not going to be our first time coming to you. We'll always come to you through your leaders; we will speak with them to identify the first three persons from your block. We'll go to the other unit and the five star there will also identify another three persons from his unit who will want to be rehabilitated. The Foundation will sponsor the process at the rehabilitation center. But those persons must be willing to be rehabilitated, because when you go there, you know what it requires: your own sacrifice," Enders emphasized as he introduced Ms. Smith to them.
He further told them that those of who will thoroughly go through their rehabilitations will serve as 'ambassadors' for the Jackie's Foundation.
In remarks, the two Five Stars/heads of the two zogo gangs who had gathered, Alkemenie Brown and Jonathan K. Barchue, both thanked Ms. Smith's Jackie's Foundation for identifying with them. They both promised to identify the three persons from each of their units that will go to the rehab. Brown said that he is already on his way to rehab so will recommend three others, while Barchue promised to include his own name among the three that will come from his gang.
Ms. Smith and her teams visited five places, including three zogos camps and two old folks' homes. In each of those places, she gave out bags of 25 kg rice and other items, including detergents and toothpastes.
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At one of the old folks gathering on the Duport Road, more than 25 mothers and grandmothers offered prayer to God for the sustenance of the Jackie's Foundation and for Ms. Smith herself.
Oldma Sarah Tarr: "The way our granddaughter has come to give to us, we are soaking her in the blood of Jesus. She did not come to tell us to vote for her. She only came to give to us and for us to pray for her. My child, you are blessed and God is going to double your blessings."
At all of the places Ms. Smith and her team visited, she emphasized that she has nothing to do with politics and she was only giving back so no one should think in their mind that she was doing the good so they could vote for her in the national elections that are upcoming in October 2023.
