The Honorary Consul General of India, Upjit Singh Sachdeva, on Saturday, August 15, 2020 officially ended his personal initiative of feeding over 315,000 less fortune Liberians during the period of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Sachdeva, an Indian businessman, who is more famously called by many Liberians as “Jeety”, said he will continue the feeding program at his Vai Town office on a daily basis, noting that stopping the outreach does not necessarily means he is ending the program. “All you need to do is to come to the Vai Town office for your food every day at 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.”
Jeety, along with his Jeety Trading Corporation, the name of his business empire, in 106 days have fed over 315,000 people with hot, ready-cooked Liberian dishes.
He himself has been a part of all the feeding programs. He begins feeding these Liberians, who unarguably live on less than US$0.50 daily, by 15:00 hours when the government announced the state of emergency and subsequently locked down in the country.
Speaking to a team of reporters Saturday during the official closing ceremony of food distribution on Center Street, the head of all less fortunate on Center Street, commonly known as “zogoes”, Mohammed Fahnbulleh, thanked Jeety for providing food for them during the Coronavirus pandemic despite society attitude towards them, stating that they will pray to God to continue to blessed the work of Jeety.
Fahnbulleh said he personally appealed to Jeety not to stop the cooked food distribution to them even if COVID-19 is over and he Jeety granted his appeal; this is why Jeety has decided to continue the good gesture at his Vai Town office, which they thank him for.
Fahnbulleh appealed to the government to build a rehabilitation center to help them become better and productive citizens. He disclosed that the building that they are presently occupying is owned by a private individual.
Kaidaitu Sheriff, 27, expressed thanks and appreciation to Jeety for the help during the COVID-19 period, emphasizing that they will keep Jeety in their prayers.
She said she has spent many years in the streets taking in drugs, which has benefited her nothing. According to her, it was peer pressure that made her to live on the streets for the many years, but is ready now to quit street life.
Jeety, along with his Jeety Trading Corporation, in 106 days, has fed over 315,000 people with hot, ready-cooked Liberian dishes.
When a journalist covering the occasion was seeking his permission for interview, he said, “Look, my friend, I don’t want to talk about this. These are my people; this is my second home. All I want is more prayers for more of God’s blessings on me. I will like to thank the President of Liberia, Dr. George M. Weah, for giving me the opportunity to serve our people”
Jeety started the feeding program at his Vai Town business headquarters immediately the government issued the lockdown order in April, with a few hundred older, young and very young Liberians forming two queues to be served the hot and tasty palm butter already packaged for take-home.