Maritime workers in Abidjan, Ivory Coast and Cebu Philippines are being supported through the Covid pandemic thanks to two Trust Covid emergency grants awarded to Apostleship of the Sea (AOS).
AOS Abidjan is using it’s £12,000 grant to provide sanitary kits to seafarers, fishers, dock workers and the wider port community. The kits include masks, sanitising gel, and other hand hygiene products.
Father Célestin Ikomba from Stella Maris Abidjan told us “These kits will help keep maritime workers safe. The port is a high-risk environment. We want to do whatever we can to prevent the spread of this virus amongst our community.”
Meanwhile in Cebu, Philippines, AOS has been providing food and accommodation for seafarers at their Stella Maris centre as well as distributing relief packs to crews on board the many passenger ships stuck in the port. The £16,000 Trust grant has helped fund this important initiative.
AOS has also been supporting port workers, such as security staff and stevedores, affected by the pandemic. Since lockdown, the porters that normally work the passenger ships have been without work or income. AOS has provided these porters with food parcels containing rice, eggs, fruit and canned goods.
“We are thankful for the support given to us by the Seafarers’ Trust and TK Foundation. It’s made an enormous difference to the welfare services we’ve been able to provide to seafarers and other maritime workers during this pandemic”, said AOS Cebu Chaplain, Father John Mission.
Head of the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, Katie Higginbottom, said “The AOS has always been a beacon for seafarers in need – now more than ever their services are providing vital hands-on support and helping vulnerable maritime workers get through the pandemic.”
Read more here about the ITF Seafarers’ Trust Covid-19 Welfare fund
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