ChildFund Celebrates Silver Jubilee

ChildFund International USA, formerly CCF, which operates in the Western Region assisting communities by providing support to over 20,000 children, 900 families, and 32 communities, last Saturday 11th  July 2009, celebrated its Silver Jubilee at a colourful ceremony, held at its' national office ground in Kanifing North.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Reuben Phillot, the Chairman of ChildFund International noted that many had seen the good of the agency, which he said, they been doing over past 25 years for Gambian children. He stated that they would continue to expand and cater for the well-being of children, especially the deprived and the vulnerable.

Mr. Phillot commended the government for their support towards ChildFund The Gambia.

For his part, Mr. Eustace Cassell, the National Director said they had re-branded the name CCF to ChildFund International, because they believed it would enable them to assist more children. He added that their "brand is more than a name as it is what we stand for". He stated that their mission remains the same, that's to help the world's deprived and vulnerable children.

He however told the gathering that the over the years, his organisation's main interest was in the welfare of children, giving support to educational facilities and early childhood development centres.

From 1994 onwards, he added, "ChildFund The Gambia's role was the facilitation of community-based organisation development initiatives, consonant with national objectives for a vibrant civil society, especially in the rural areas to take their own development in their own hands."

"The strategy continued in 2005, when all affiliated programme areas were fully registered to be recognised as community-based organisation in their rights with management board and staff running the affairs of the CBOS, with ChildFund contributing in the financial support," he noted.

He said "through the six federations, ChildFund has indirectly supported over 99,368 children; a total of 20, 284 children are enrolled into sponsorship programme, 15, 523 sponsors from 8, 578 families and reaching out to a total population of 392, 987 in the Western Region".

Seedou Bojang, a child sponsor of ChildFund The Gambia, said that he hailed from a family of subsistence farmers and his parents struggle very hard to provide for his family.