NABOCADO gives to refugees at Tarikom

The Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocesan Development Organization (NABOCADO), a Catholic faith-based organisation, has presented assorted food and non-food items to refugees at the Reception and Settlement Centre at Tarikom in the Bawku West District.

The items included 142 quantities of 25kilograms (kg) bags of rice, 144 quantities of two litres of cooking oil, 150 quantities of one kg iodised salt, 432 cakes of laundry soap, 144 pieces of toothpaste and 144 packs of sanitary pads.

The gesture was funded by the Integral Human Development wing of the Vatican, Rome.

The Most Reverend Alfred Agyenta, the Bishop of the Diocese, who presented the items, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the gesture, not the first of its kind, signified the Church’s continuous responsibility towards the poor and vulnerable.

He said even though the items may not be sufficient, “We think that it is better to do something rather than nothing,” adding that the initiative was to complement government’s efforts.

It may be recalled that some communities in the district for the past two years received influx of Burkinabés from nearby communities including Zabre, Bugri and Zoago in Burkina Faso, following suspected terrorist attacks in that country.

Even though some of the Burkinabés who sought asylum in the district returned to their home country, several of them were still in the Tarikom Reception and Settlement Centre.

Apart from the items, the Catholic Church, through the organisation dedicated to promoting rural development for decades, consistently supported residents at the centre with various critical services including healthcare.

Bishop Agyenta said it was the duty of the Church, guided by the commandment to love their neighbour, to support the refugees as a sign that the Church had not forgotten them.

“It is not enough, but the little that we have, we think that it is also something to show that we have not forgotten about them,” he said.

The Bishop, who received briefing from leadership of the centre on its state and the condition of residents prior to the presentation, expressed concern about the poor conditions of the residents, noting that the support they previously received from the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme was no more.

“So, these people are literally left on their own, and they have young children. Malnutrition is setting in because the children at this level will need to be feeding. It is very sad,” the cleric noted.

The Most Reverend Agyenta prayed for the asylum seekers and encouraged them not to despair, for God was in control of their situation and would certainly see them through.

He called for attention to their plight saying, “We want the authorities and the world not to forget about the people in Tarikom. Government is doing its bid because there are so many refugee camps around, but we think that they should not forget the lives of these people here.”

Dr Joseph Banguu, the Executive Director of the NABOCADO, recalled that his outfit was the first organization to respond to the needs of the asylum seekers with emergency items on their arrival in the host communities.

“Since then, we have been with them, and in 2023, there was a formal engagement with the UNHCR through Caritas Ghana. So, we were in charge of the feeding, health, education, and protection,” he said.

Dr Banguu explained that when funding ceased, the NABOCADO continued to keep contact with the asylum seekers saying, “We have no option, we started with them, and we have stayed through with them.”

He said through the organisation’s programmes, it had supported the refugees in diverse ways and indicated that the gesture was one of the numerous supports to them.

Some of the asylum seekers after receiving their share of the items, expressed gratitude to leadership of the Catholic Church, and management of the NABOCADO for their continues support and prayers.

Madam Fauzia Sare, an asylum seeker, told the GNA that, “I am very happy for what I received, and the comforting words from the Bishop. It is my prayer that God will continue to bless them as they always remember us.”

Source: GNA