Banjul, 20
March 2020 – The Office of the First Lady and UNICEF The Gambia have partnered
with star artists Jizzle and ST to release songs to educate and sensitize the
public on the Coronavirus. The first of the two songs produced by Jizzle has
been released on Friday. ST’s song will also be released very soon.
The First
Lady of The Gambia Madam Fatoumatta Bah Barrow hailed the collaboration with
UNICEF and the two artists as an important milestone in the country’s fight
against the Coronavirus.
“Communication
is vital to the containment of the spread of the Coronavirus. These songs will
educate, inform and raise the awareness of the general public especially the
youth and vulnerable members of society about the preventive measures and the
symptoms of the virus.”
Since the
Coronavirus was declared a global pandemic, First Lady Madam Fatoumatta Bah
Barrow has made a personal commitment to reach out to Gambians with proper
information about COVID-19 and how they can protect themselves.
“We need the
power of positive thinking more than ever before and I hope that these songs
will be shared, and that the messages contained therein would naturally address
any element of doubt or misperceptions that people may have about the
pandemic.”
UNICEF The
Gambia Country Representative Sandra Lattouf believes the songs have the
potential to awaken the public to the realities of the Coronavirus and motivate
people to take action to fight the virus and keep The Gambia safe.
“These songs
contain strong messages on preventive measures against the Coronavirus. We are
confident that people will learn from these messages and be inspired to take
action to protect themselves and others around them.”
UNICEF and
the UN system in The Gambia continue to work with The Gambia Government and
partners to keep the public informed about preventive measures and how they can
contribute to the containment of the Coronavirus.
“As members
of the national COVID-19 task force, we have identified strategic priorities to
support the government in keeping the people safe from the virus. We are
strengthening risk communication, supporting in proper coordination, case
management and logistics to contain the Coronavirus and protect Gambians from
the disease.”
