The Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM), a Non -Governmental Organization, has presented some food items to about 400 vulnerable widows and orphans in the Upper East Region as part of its social protection project.

The gesture with funding support from Oxfam Ghana was part of efforts to provide food supplies for the vulnerable including; persons with disability to relieve them of the hardships the outbreak and spread of the novel coronavirus disease has had on their livelihoods.

The beneficiaries selected from the Bolgatanga Municipality, Bongo, Talensi and Nabdam Districts received bags of rice and cooking oil.

Speaking at separate functions to present the items to the beneficiaries, Ms Patricia Ayichuru, the Project Officer, WOM, indicated that the COVID-19 had placed economic difficulties in households and situation was worsened in the case of vulnerable households like widows, orphans and persons with disabilities.

The Project Officer explained that the support was therefore to help the beneficiary families with food to be able to feed on.

Ms Ayichuru noted that WOM had widows' groups in the beneficiary districts and added that although few of the beneficiaries were selected from outside the operational groups especially persons with disability, almost all the beneficiaries were selected from the operational groups.

The Project Officer noted as part of the Social Protection Project, the Nabdam District was supported to develop an emergency preparedness plan as part of measures to mitigate perennial disasters.

She explained that the stakeholders in the disaster prevention and management chain in the district including; the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), the Ghana Health Service, the Assembly, the Ghana National Fire Service among others were trained to prepare a comprehensive emergency plan to tackle disasters.

She said the stakeholders identified COVID-19, bushfires and annual flooding as three top epidemics and were supported to develop a comprehensive plan to enable them prevent and manage such disasters.

The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to WOM and Oxfam Ghana for the gesture and added that it would go a long way to improve their livelihood especially in the era, where the COVID-19 posed financial burdens on every family.

Madam Gifty Mogre, a beneficiary from Nabdam District noted that the items would be used to feed the family as the intended purpose of the donation.

Madam Adugpoka Nsoh, another beneficiary from the Bongo District who expressed gratitude to the WOM and its partner, appealed to other organizations to support the vulnerable in society as the COVID-19 threatened their lives in various ways.