A genuine call is worth supporting

Since the presidential treatment program was constituted, the central explanation put forward by President Jammeh has always been that the inspiration emanated from a divine ordinance; but for us at the home front, it was quite apparent that the earthly motivation was born out of an extraordinary genial bond between an altogether unique kind of a leader and his people; a leader who has defied almost all expectations, as far as the might of political influence is concerned.

In this contemporary world of ours, authority, especially one that is entrusted along with national responsibilities, goes with some level of unimaginable superior manifestations, often wielded at the whims and caprice of the rulers.

The trend is such that people in authority take advantage of their God-entrusted power to perpetuate ulterior demands in mere satisfaction of totally untenable feelings. With a gift as massive as this - political power, executive authority, fame, and the potential for attaining extreme riches - very few people could have chosen to dedicate themselves entirely in the service of humanity.

Imagine what it would have cost if the cure for this quarter of a century old bewilderment of an ailment had been discovered in line with the conventional scientific process! Thanks to the powerful influence of bureaucracy, it surely would have taken ages to have it available for even the wealthiest of patients, not to mention the prospect of its accessibility to the negligible class of the under-privileged.

The idea of merely offering treatment services for free, especially for a disease like HIV/AIDS, is unimaginable anywhere in the world, not to talk of extending this gesture to the provision of personal needs; from feeding to clothing, as well as housing. What makes it all the more exceptionally touching is the fact that all these responsibilities lie on the shoulders of one person. One can hardly think of any course more genuine to invest in than this.

As a matter of fact, it is none but the society itself that benefits from this inimitable show of magnanimity by the president. Giving back lost confidence to people that had lost it is equal to giving back hope, strength and ability to a whole generation of people who could have fallen prey of the repercussion of the scourge of the disease. This makes it a moral obligation for this very same society to help this causw. 

Therefore, the call by his Excellency for philanthropists to give helping hands to his treatment program couldn’t have come at a better time than this, when the impact is really being felt, given the increasing number of people coming up for it. A genuine call is worth supporting at all cost.