Foni
Din Ding Federation, a local partner to ChildFund The Gambia based in Bwiam
Foni Kansala district of the West Coast Region on Tuesday organized its first
Marathon run.
The
4 Km marathon run which brought together 10 young athletic girls while the
sensitisation was witnessed by over 60 young girls within their operation area.
The events were funded by Foni Ding Ding Federation.
The
theme of the Marathon run was “Run against Teenage Pregnancy, No Sex before
Marriage.”
Speaking
to participants shortly after the event, Foni Din Ding Federation manager, Edi
Bah, spoke at length on the significance of the event, saying the federation
has realised that there was high rate of teenage pregnancy within the
federation’s operation area due to poverty.
He
said to address the menace, his federation deemed it fitting to come with such
event to sensitise young girls on the dangers and consequences of teenage
pregnancy to enable them become not only responsible people but also better
future leaders and role models in their respective communities.
Foni
Din Ding Federation’s Sponsorship and Program Coordinator, said the motive
behind the activity was to make sure that the girl folks are involved
meaningfully in their programmes.
According
to him, over the years the federation has been engaged in series of activities.
However, cognizant of the fact that many of their activities are directed at
empowering the young people specifically the male children, they realised that
many a time, girls are left behind which is a social norm the federation wants
to get out of their system.
He
disclosed that the federation wants to create equal opportunities for boys as
well as girls in their programming by organizing the marathon and sensitization
against teenage pregnancy thus using marathon sport as a strategy.
For
her part, a participant, Nyarra Bojang of Kampant village under Bwiam community
association expressed delight at emerging winner of the marathon, saying that
she would always be the federation ambassador as well as sensitising her peers,
friends and other young girls about the consequences of teenage pregnancy.
She
challenged young girls to focus on their education to enable them become responsible
parents.
Nyarra
Bojang of Kampant, who emerged winner received (D2000) two thousand dalasis,
2nd placed, Awa Bah of Sintet village received (D1500) one thousand five
hundred dalasis while the 3rd placed, Jarra Colley of Dobong received (D1000) one
thousand dalasis and the rest of the participants received D200 each
respectively.