By: Anthony Q. Jiffan, Jr
As Liberians bear the economic hardship caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, Mr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva (Jeety), owner of Liberia’s popular building material outlets, on Saturday, June 13, 2020 continued distribution of home-cooked meals to the less fortunate. Saturday’s distribution amounts to 41 days since Jeety commenced his feeding project.
The Indian Consulate General continues to be a major contributor to the lives of many Liberians through the provision and distribution of ready-cooked meals to various communities in Monrovia, including the Monrovia Central Prison and the John F. Kennedy Medical Hospital.
Popularly known as Jeety, Mr. Sachdeva, started sharing food to less fortunate Liberians subsequently following the declaration of the COVID-19 state of emergency on April 8, which began effective on April 10.
According to Mr. Jeety, the feeding project required him hiring 25 Liberian women to cook more than 15 bags of 25kg rice daily to ensure that vulnerable Liberians are fed in Vai Town, Slipway, Johnson Street, Center Street, Buchanan Street, Trench Town, Mamba Point, and West Point, amongst others.
Accordingly, through his food distribution project, Mr. Jeety feeds about 10,000 persons daily who gather at a specified location to receive a plate of rice, soup and water – a kind gesture that has caught the attention of every at-risk young person normally referred to as “ZOGOS”, who gather daily for their meal.
Since the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic State of Emergency, which led Mr. Jeety to considered reaching out to the above mentioned communities, he has thought it wise to include the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) to help in the distribution of food to other communities that he is unable to reach every day.
During the afternoon hours of the day, vehicles belonging to the MCC are seen conveying food and water from the compound of Mr. Jeety for onward delivery to targeted communities in Montserrado County.
According to Mr. Jeety, the MCC usually delivers feeding for 5,000 persons a day, while Mr. Jeety himself leads a team of suppliers to cater to the needs of about 10,000 persons a day.
During the 41st day of distribution, a beneficiary of the feeding project informed this paper that Mr. Jeety has been feeding the less fortunate for the past five years in the Vai Town community. “This is why he decided to extend the feeding project to other communities hit hard by COVID-19,” says Mambu Sonnie of Vai Town.
Mohammed Fahnbulleh, popularly known as “Five Star”, is a leader of the Center Street group of less privileged young people.
Expressing gratitude to Mr. Jeety for what he termed as his timely intervention into their situation, this is what Fahnbulleh had to say:
“It takes a father like Mr. Jeety to feed about 20,000 people who are unable to afford food for themselves daily. We pray that God will reward him and continue to increase his business so that he can continue to impact the Liberian society.”