Liberia: Homeless Classroom Teacher Commends Indian Consul General for Transforming His Life

MONROVIA – A 73-year-old man former Liberian classroom teacher is commending Indian Honorary Consul General to Liberia, Mr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva, for immensely contributing towards the transformation of his life through the provision of a home and other basic needs.

Mr. Sachdeva, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jetty Trading Corporation, is commonly known as “Jetty” in Liberia.

For several years, the beneficiary Mr. John Daweh, was most often seen in rags, begging for handouts or food from passers-by and sellers at various street corners in Monrovia and its environs. He also slept in the streets under the rain and sun.

Mr. Daweh was a former classroom teacher at a local Methodist school in Topoe Village, Gardnesville outside Monrovia.

The reported decision taken by authorities of the school to dismiss him without pay as a result of an illness compelled him to go into the streets to beg for survival.

“I was dismissed from the school because, my foot was hurting and I couldn’t walk”.

Following his dismissal, it was difficult for Mr. Daweh to pay rental fee for a room he was residing in. His situation worsened after he was thrown out of the house.

Upon hearing the news, the wife and daughter of the aging Liberian teacher decided to make their way from Harper, Maryland County to Monrovia in a bid to help find solution to the disdainful and deplorable life their husband and father was living.

But unfortunately, the both died in a tragic motor accident while on their way to Monrovia.

Mr. Daweh became hopeless and depressed following the tragic incident.

“I was sleeping in the streets for two years and Jetty took me from in the streets through this lady and brought me here. My condition was too bad and he looked at me and said his people should carry me for treatment”.

How the help came

Mr. Daweh was one of those who regularly visited the back of Jetty Trading Corporation, right behind the offices of Mr. Sachdeva, in Vai Town on the Bushrod Island, to benefit from the distribution of free hot cooked meal.

The distribution of free hot cooked meal initiative was launched by the Indian Honorary Consul General in February 2017.

The initiative is intended to provide feeding to less fortunate Liberians who cannot afford to have a meal on their own.

Since the launch of the exercise, several hundreds of less fortunate Liberians, including disabled, disadvantaged youths, elderly women and men, as well as children, trooped at the distribution site to receive a plate of food, water or juice (for the kids) on a daily basis.

Mr. Sachdeva, sometimes ago, noticed the absence of Mr. Daweh, who has been one of those who regularly visited the distribution site to have a meal for the day.

He mandated one of his office staff identified as Blessing Johnson, to make a search for the elderly man.

Mr. Daweh was found sick, helpless and deplorable. His illness compelled him to defecate on himself regularly.

Dr. Jerry Brown, Administrator of the government-owned John F. Kennedy Medical Center, was immediately contacted by Mr. Sachdeva, and an ambulance was sent to provide first aid and take Mr. Daweh at the hospital.

After spending a week at the medical facility and medical bills settled, the aging Liberian teacher was finally discharged.

He was provided a new home by Mr. Sachdeva with household materials at the diplomatic Mamba Point Community in Monrovia.

On a regular basis, Mr. Daweh continues to receive feeding and other necessities from the Indian Honorary Consul General in Liberia.

He, however, leaped praises on Mr. Sachdeva for his immense enormous contributions intended to guarantee his survivability.

“Only God alone will pay Mr. Jetty to tell him thanks for me. What he did for me, let God bless me. I feel very good for sleeping in a good house now. Now, I am healthy and I thank God for him because, food can always be surplus on me since I came here”, Mr. Daweh stated.

Speaking in an interview with FrontPage Africa, Milton Shares, the head of security of Mr. Sachdeva, recalled that a special preference was given to Mr. Daweh after his boss pitied his condition.

“Mr. Daweh used to be here sometimes by 11AM and will wait be around until the afternoon hours when the feeding time reaches. My boss told his that this man should not stand in the line again; he should just come to get his food. We made sure that he got an extra bowl and we started to attend to him gradually”.

“Our boss was so much concerned about Mr. Daweh and in fact, he could tell us to go and find him during the rainy season whenever he did not come around for his food. He got seriously sick and one of our co-workers was mandated to go and find him; His condition was really bad”.

Mr. Shares pointed out that the kindness shown the former Liberian teacher is just one out of scores of other assistance Mr. Sachdeva has rendered to Liberians in the country.

He recalled a medical assistance provided to an unidentified disadvantaged Lyouth, who was critically ill lying at the famous “Pelhum Building” in Monrovia.

Mr. Shares, however expressed the hope that the goodwill gesture of his boss will continue in the midst of envy and jealousy from others who joined the free food distribution program, but discontinue in a short period of time for unknown reasons.

At the same time, several elderly women mentally derailed and homeless persons in Monrovia and other parts adjacent, over the week end benefitted from the hot cooked meal distribution of Mr. Sachdeva.

The beneficiaries applauded the Indian Honorary Consul General and prayed for God’s blessings upon his life and the lives of his family members.

“As for me, Mr. Jetty had been feeding me for more than two years now. Every day I can come to Vamuma junction to receive my plate of food and water to drink. As for some of us even though it is little, but we don’t have anyone to provide that for us. We tell God thank you for Mr. Jetty” one of the beneficiaries stated.

Blessing Johnson, a staff of Mr. Sachdeva, who is the regular distributor of the hot cooked meal disclosed that the initiative continues to help ensure that hundreds of less fortunate and homeless persons do not go to bed on empty stomach.

“We as Liberians we are thankful to Mr. Jetty for this initiative because, we have lot of foreign people doing business in Liberia but we can’t see them doing some of the things that he is doing”.

“We normally go around the city and if we see the homeless or mentally ill people, we stop to give them food. We cannot just count the number of people we have given food or we continue to give food”.

Blessing added that the provision of food to under privileged Liberians, instead of cash is a move that will also help discourage young people who are drug addicts, from using handouts given them to promote their bad habits.

“Mr. Jetty thought it wise that cooking meal for these young people instead of giving them money all the time will be ok. And if you see them, they can be so much happy to embrace the food that we give to them”.

“They know the car the food can be in so well. And so, before I even reach all of them will say ‘Mr. Jetty has landed’. They referred to the car as ‘Mr. Jetty’ because the food is there. They are always saying thank you and let God bless the provider of this food”.

According to her, the goodwill gesture of Mr. Sachdeva goes beyond boundaries because of “the kind heart” he has for his fellow mankind.

Blessing, however, underscored the need for other foreign business entrepreneurs doing businesses in Liberia to follow the good example of her boss.

“We got other people in this country that are making lot of money out there. They should be able to help others that are in need. I am calling on them to follow the good name of Mr. Jetty”.

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