Saffie
Lowe-Ceesay, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, has said that exposing
vulnerable children to such hazardous environment should be a concern to all.
“My
ministry equally shares the same concerns for children who are seen scavenging
in our various dumpsites and also serving as refuse collectors in and around our major towns;
depriving them of their constitutional right to education,” she said.
She was speaking during the second ordinary
session of the 2017 legislative year of the National Assembly in Banjul.
She
explained that children that are being exposed to such risks maybe children
from low socioeconomic background including orphans and vulnerable children
such as street children and child returnees, children on the move and missing
children.
The
Health Minister indicated that the department of Social Welfare is the
government institution responsible for the protection and promotion of the
rights and welfare of vulnerable individuals and groups in The Gambia.
She
added that the department also works with stakeholders such as police, Ministry
of Interior, UNICEF and NGOs as well as the private sector.
“My
Ministry has what is called the family tracing and unification for street
children and child returnees,” she said.
She
assured that her ministry would work tirelessly through the Department of
Social Welfare to improve the Social Security and Protection and Care and
support for vulnerable children.
They
would also ensure that there is juvenile justice, especially with the Local
Government Ministry responsible for waste management and local members of the
community.
