Relief Materials Handed To Street Children In Cross River

The Director General of the Cross-River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong, on Tuesday, handed food items and personal protective materials to street children in Calabar, the state capital.

This, she said, were some of the measures being taken by the state government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state.

She led a team of government officials to various streets such as: Mary Slessor, Bogobiri, and Cultural Centre within the city where most of the homeless children commonly referred to as “skolombo” reside.

Ekpenyong, who also led the officials to sensitise the children, said, “With a geometrical progression in cases recorded on a daily basis globally, the importance of sensitization cannot be over emphasized.

“We are here today to ensure that everyone is being carried along. Our dear and passionate Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, has mandated that everyone in the streets of Cross River State must wear a mask and that is why we are here in the street to distribute masks to these special sets of kids so that they too can move freely without any form of restriction.

“Our governor, Professor Ben Ayade, has also asked us to come here and celebrate Easter with you people and to teach you ways in which you can protect yourselves against the deadly coronavirus.”

She advised everyone to adhere strictly to the guidelines issued by government and relevant authorities on ways of preventing the spread of the virus such as: regular washing of hands with soap under running water, using soaps or ash, using alcohol based hand sanitizers and using face masks.