Cameroon international Christian Bassogog has announced a donation of 10 million francs CFA ($16,000) to some 300 students from his country who are currently trapped in the Hubei province of China due to the Coronavirus.
Cameroonian authorities are yet to give any green light to allow the students to return home following fears of contamination.
However, parents and other family members have been sending funds to their loved ones in China to cover basic daily needs, according to local reports.
After the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations won by the Indomitable Lions, Bassogog, who was named best player of the tournament, joined Henan Jianye in China, but is currently in Cameroon due to the Coronavirus crisis.
“The money is meant to help Cameroonians in China, especially the students. It is very important for us to unite at this difficult time and show love to those who are suffering,” Bassogog said after a meeting with Cameroon’s minister of external affairs.
“We want Cameroonians from across the globe to support their compatriots in China and also to support China as a nation.”
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV), according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
China has reported a total of 78,824 confirmed cases and 2,788 deaths in the mainland since the outbreak started in December 2019.
