The donation of 200 food packs by the Government of the People’s Republic of China is another testimony of the strong bilateral relations between Mauritius and China. The existing cooperation between the two countries extends to all areas such as economy, trade, culture, tourism, health, sport, as well as social security and social integration.
The Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo, made this statement, Thursday, at the symbolic handing over ceremony of 200 food packs to households registered on the Social Register of Mauritius (SRM), at the National Empowerment Foundation (NEF), in Port Louis.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Liying Zhu, and other personalities were present on the occasion.
In her address, Minister Jeewa-Daureeawoo highlighted that this donation of food parcels is intended to help some of the most needy families on the island especially in the context of the difficult times the world is currently experiencing. “We all know that food is the most basic human need and is essential for life and development, but various shocks at the international level are directly threatening the food basket, especially for families that are already vulnerable,” she pointed out.
In addition, the Minister emphasised that the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, climate change and economic fragility have led to an unprecedented surge in food prices.
“Solidarity and initiatives to alleviate the plight of families at the bottom of the ladder are therefore becoming even more essential and relevant,” she said. This symbolic ceremony, Mrs Jeewa-Daureeawoo observed, comes a few days before the commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty with a national event. “This will present us with the opportunity to reflect further on anti-poverty measures and also renew the Government’s commitment to relentlessly fight against poverty,” she stressed.
On this score, she outlined several measures taken by the Government in a bid to eradicate poverty in Mauritius. These include: a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the International Poverty Reduction Centre of China and the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity to promote the sharing of knowledge and experiences in the field of poverty reduction in October 2015; introduction of the Marshall Plan against poverty in 2016 based on financial assistance, education, housing, training and family values; revision of the absolute poverty line from Rs 9 520 for a family of two adults and three children to Rs 10 500 and; increase of the minimum monthly financial assistance from Rs 500 to Rs 1 000 in Budget 2022/2023.
For his part, Mr Liying Zhu emphasised that through the contribution of these food packages and other events that will follow, the Chinese Embassy wishes to show its solidarity with the Government and the people of Mauritius in their tireless efforts to eradicate poverty. “The Chinese Party remains at the side of Mauritians, always in practice with pragmatic programmes so that the Sino-Mauritian cooperation is beneficial to all the people,” he pointed out.
He also underscored that China, through its experiences, wants to make an ever-greater contribution to the world in the fight against poverty. “With Mauritius in particular, we want to continue cooperation in this field through the exchange of experience and know-how, and through agricultural and food projects,” he stated.
