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The Ghana Report Foundation on Tuesday donated sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worth GH¢ 70,000 to the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to aid its members in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

The items are to be distributed among member organisations and journalists to enable them to protect themselves against the COVID-19.

Items donated included 100 pieces of Veronica buckets, 1000 pieces of hand sanitizers, 100 tissues, 100 basins, 100 face mask, 2,500 nose mask and soaps, among others.

Mr Affail Monney, the President of the GJA, in receiving the donation at a short ceremony held in Accra, said the media had played a pivotal role in fighting COVID-19, since its outbreak.

He said despite the recent lifting of the lockdown in some parts of the country, it was not a sign of total recovery from the pandemic.

He, therefore, urged the media not to relent on its effort in educating and informing the public about the devastating effect the disease could have on the country.

“Debate is also raging on the rectitude or otherwise on the government’s decision to lift the partial lockdown on Greater Accra, Kumasi and Kasoa. We are not interested in what went into the lifting of the partial lockdown. Our main interest is to ensure that we mobilize all our arsenals, to synergise all our efforts to ensure that we win the fight.

“The lifting of the ban does not obscure the fact that COVID-19 is still devastating. COVID-19 can decimate our economic, social and other gains if we do not rise to face it squarely.

“Therefore, an appeal goes to the media community to bring this reality to the understanding of the ordinary Ghanaian that we are not out of the woods yet, that any complacency and backsliding in terms of educating and informing the public on the part of the media can have a dangerous consequence,” he said.

He commended the Foundation for supporting the organization and for that matter journalists at large, adding that this would enable them to deliver on their mandates.

Madam Rashida Saani Nasamu, the Managing Director of the Foundation said as front liners fighting the COVID-19, journalists’ safety needed to be ensured.

“It is quite imperative to keep safe because you are the front liners as well, you disseminate information and educate the public to keep safe,” she said.

She said the organisation through its foundation had undertaken numerous project including funding the education for brilliant but needy students, among others, adding that “we believe that it is not only about telling the story, we have to go beyond the stories, the reportage, to help society and give solutions to the marginalised.”

The Ghana Report Foundation is a Corporate Social Responsibility organisation of the portal (theghanareport.com), an online news portal.