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In Liberia’s Frank Town, Others: Annette Choko Kpoto Thrills Hundreds With Regular Hot-Meals
The well-known adage that says ‘Giving Provides Life and Joy for a Recipient’
became a vivid reality recently in Frank Town, a rural village in Montserrado
County and its environs in Liberia, a West African nation, when hundreds of
elderly people including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, the physically
challenged, less fortunate youths among others began benefiting from a cooked
and hot meals provision initiative launched by Madam Annette Choko Kpoto, a
hardworking, compassionate, God-fearing and professional Liberian Lady who is
based in the United States of America (USA).
Since her safe arrival back home in Liberia for a brief vacation from the USA,
Annette, on a daily basis, offers bowls of delicious, palatable and sumptuous hot
meals to the mostly underprivileged residents of Frank Town and its surrounding
communities in rural Montserrado.
As each beneficiary receives his/her share, or gets hold of a plate of jollof rice,
smiles overflow their faces and tons of appreciation rollout from their respective
lips, especially the older folks.
A plate of jollof rice along with well-prepared chicken parts, delicious vegetables
and mineral water are often given to each person.
In Liberia, there is a huge gap between the Haves and the Have-nots when it
comes to household food security. Access to three square meals a day across the
country is a major challenge for the ordinary people, especially poor families in
deprived communities as they survive on less than US$2 day.
Born in ‘Frank Town’ on the edge of Montserrado County, Madam Kpoto
overcame the storm of life challenges as a young woman growing up in a small
urban village in Careysburg.
After years of soldiering on with education, she has now become a blessing to
several citizens in Liberia.
Madam Kpoto told THE IMAGES Magazine, in a recent interview at her
residence that her passion to give back stems from the need to put smiles on the
faces of people who cannot afford in these difficult times in Liberia.
“Knowing where I came from, a humble beginning, parents got nothing and seeing
how God has blessed me by taking me from nowhere to somewhere, I have, and
will always look back to my people,” she added.
The regular feeding initiative, which started with her village people in ‘Frank
Town has been extended to other deprived people in areas such as the Vamumah
House Community, among others near the Tubman Bolevard in Sinkor.
Pregnant women visiting various health centers for regular treatment in the Duport
Road Community in Paynesville are also benefiting from the feeding exercise.
The extension of the program, she further told THEIMAGES, is the result of
God’s revelation, instructing her to go beyond Frank Town to other communities in
Montserrado County.
“The Lord wanted me to go to Vamuma House, so I headed to Vamuma House;
every time I pass Vamuma House, I always see older people sitting in the sun
waiting for someone to feed them, and so, I said to myself, since this is my
passion, I will feed the people there and they were really overjoyed when I started
giving them hot meals,” Madam Kpoto intimated.
She asserted that feeding people and putting smiles onto their faces serve as an
inspiration for her at all times, adding ‘little is much when God is in it.
At the same time, the US based Liberian Humanitarian cautioned Liberians
residing in the Diaspora to look back to their motherland by figuring out the best
ways to help their brothers and sisters.
‘Everybody may not come back to do what I am doing, but providing assistance to
someone who is already leading the charge is also a laudable venture,’ she stressed.
According to Annette, ‘if all hands are on deck, communities across Liberia will be
better.
Commenting on the state of security in Liberia, she mentioned that increasing
reports of criminal activities are unhelpful for the development of the country.
She expressed the hope that by God’s grace, things will turn out to be good for all
Liberians so as to allow other Liberians abroad to return home and contribute to
the nation building process.
Madam Gboto indicated that with sufficient resources, she is considering building
the capacity of the beneficires.
“ This is long term plan. By the Grace of God when I come back, I will like to
open a catering school to help teach young women and girls some of the skills I
have learnt over the years that have kept me going in the United States,” Madam
Annette Choko Kpoto said.