US Navy donates N416m materials to charities in Nigeria

The United States (US) Navy, under its Project

Handclasp, on Tuesday donated materials worth

$2.6 million (about N416 million) to three Nigerian

Charity organisations.

The materials, which were delivered at the Apapa

Port by US Naval Services Spearhead (USNS),

included personal mobility handcarts, wheel chairs

and medical supplies.

The benefiting charity organisations were Hope for

Independent Living Initiative, Assemblies of God and

Deseret International Charity Vision.

Capt. Douglas Casavant, Master of the USNS, who

presented the items in the absence of the benefiting

organisations, said the donation was to promote the

Handclasp project.

Casanvant, who spoke to the News Agency of

Nigeria (NAN) shortly after delivering the items,

expressed the organisations’ commitment to the

project’s sustenance.

“Project Handclasp is a US Navy programme that

accepts and transport educational, humanitarian

materials to our partner nations’ recipients.

“This shipment is part of the project’s donation to

different benefiting groups across Africa. And this

present shipment to Nigeria is for churches and

humanitarian organisations.

“The shipment overall, which is worth $2.6 million,

is being delivered by the US Navy under its project

Handclasp,’’ he said.

Casavant said that the navy had the items from

Personal Transport (PET) International, Hope Haven

International and AERObridge International.

The Captain of the Ship made the donation after

waiting for hours for the arrival of the benefiting

charity organisations.

The items were scheduled to be delivered to them

at 10:00 a.m., but the Captain having waited till 1:20

p.m., decided to perform the handing over, without

the beneficiaries.

A beneficiary, who pleaded anonymity, however,

told NAN that they were held back at the Port’s

entrance, over clearance formalities.

She said that the charity organisations had come

with trucks to convey the items to their different offices.