BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 25th June 2021) – Well-known media personality and entertainer Maurice ‘EK’ Flanders, founder of Real Right Entertainment, has started a food drive distribution programme on St.Kitts which is says is inspired by the desire to see to the well-being of children in families who are in need of assistance at this time during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on ‘Issues’ Programme aired on Freedom FM (106.5) on Monday 21st June, the father of two boys shared the reasoning for his charitable outreach saying: “we are not doing this for any praise …we just want to help people, and for me it is about the children because I have always maintained that if parents go through hard times, sometimes it falls on the children…”
He spoke about his team ensuring that all safety protocols will be followed including no interaction with recipients as well as using fully vaccinated individuals for the delivery services.
“For the deliveries, in keeping with the protocols, we don’t want to have any interaction with anybody at any home. We are going to get the vaccinated delivery team together, and they are going to contact you via telephone –get your directions, get your house. Once we have the correct home, we drop off the stuff on your doorstep or outside your gate, and we leave…”
Flanders also noted that he is also protecting himself against being accused of being a COVID-19 super spreader in his desire to help people “because I know that will form part of some people’s political agenda.”
Families and individuals have been told that: ” I am just using the platforms that I have available to me to get the word out there. So those people who are fearful of asking for help because you don’t want your picture taken or you don’t want anybody to tie up your name in political foolishness about them helping you, for my end for Real Right Entertainment charity, me no in dat wid nobody; you no even have to message me back and say thanks.”
He continued: “The only thing, just message back and say package received…because we are not doing this for any praise …we just want to help people, and for me it is about the children because I have always maintained that if parents go through hard times, sometimes it falls on the children , and for people who have been through tough times and know how hunger go, and sometimes you eat , and you no see you mother eat nothing,; you don’t even know if she eat or not but you no realize that until you come a big man or woman , that you never used to see you mother eat. “
Flanders further highlighted that it is only when stories are shared by parents when children become adults that some parents never ate anything but made sure that the children did.
“For me is the children dem and as a father I have always maintained that whatever it is that I can do to help the mother of my children , I will do because if the mother suffers, sometimes more than often the children will suffer too so for me part is to make sure that the children dem good. A lot of people ain’t working since March, a lot of people are falling on tough times.”
Addressing feedback about those who will try to take advantage of the situation, he told: “Yes, we know that there are people who are going to try to take advantage of the system and that all well and good….they can’t do nothing with the food except eat it and pass it back out and dem and God gone have to work out wid dey conscience but anyway we could assist that’s what we trying to do.”
Media details from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has indicated that National Disaster Coordinator NDC Abdias Samuel has commended the efforts of EK, popular local entertainer, for organising a Food Donation Drive to benefit persons who are presently living in isolation or quarantine in response to COVID19.
“During unusual circumstances and suffering, when differing perspectives are put on blast, we sometimes overlook interventions of light.EK has brought the light by putting his money where his mouth is throughout this socially conscious endeavour and to him we say well done Team, may God richly bless you.”
NEMA is encouraging persons who are in Isolation , quarantine or who have been impacted by the economic challenges of the pandemic to call NEMA (466-5100), EK himself or Social Development and Gender Affairs to receive a package.