The Cameroon English Language Newspaper Association, CENPA has donated sanitary kits to media organs in some parts of the country to help in the fight against the COVID-19.
The comprised of hand sanitizers, hand-wash buckets, washing soap, face masks and disinfectants were presented to the public on Friday, May 15 during a press conference in Yaounde organised by CENPA.
The distribution exercise will immediately start this week and will targets media organs in Yaounde, Limbe, Kumba, Douala, Buea and Bamenda, CENPA said in a statement.
Presenting the kits to the press, CENPA equally noted that journalists covering the COVID-19 pandemic must as a matter of urgency be provided with the necessary materials and safe working environments to protect themselves while reporting on the Coronavirus pandemic.
According to the President of CENPA, Christian Ngah, journalists are among the persons most exposed to the pandemic and need enough protection from their various media organs in order to keep the public informed on the evolution of the situation.
“I think CENPA is aware that journalists are more vulnerable to the Coronavirus because we cover events everyday and interview people whose status we don’t know. So we thought that we could also join government in the fight against this global pandemic,” Christian Ngah said.
He added that the donation is the fruit of contributions from members of the association to see that journalists are protected and support government’s fight against the pandemic.
“What is more important about this gesture is neither the quantity nor quality of the kits but the intention and spirit behind it. We want to reach out to many media organs as much as possible,” he added.
CENPA also went on to outline a number of activities which they have carried out to support government’s efforts in other sectors, including the back-to-school drive in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon as well as organizing workshops geared at promoting peace in that part of the country.
CENPA’s donation to the media comes just a day after the Ministry of Public Health revealed ace CRTV radio news presenter Marie Françoise Ewolo had tested positive of the virus and is currently responding to treatment.
The journalist has reassured she is fine and receiving treatment in confinement while hoping to fully recover in the next few weeks.
JDC TV, Video news 
