ChildFund The Gambia on 3 November 2015 handed over
Gymboree Children wear to its partners, namely Operation Save the Children,
SOS, Din Ding Bantaba and Eastern Foni Federations for onward distribution to
their respective needy children.
The presentation ceremony took place at ChildFund head office on Radio Gambia road, Kanifing North.
As a child protection and development agency, ChildFund The Gambia has partnered with Gymboree to ensure the promotion and protection of children, said Mr James Pimundu, national director of ChildFund.
The clothes to a large extent came as a result of series of consultations and interactions between ChildFund The Gambia and their partners to receive a 40-foot container with over 40,000 pieces of clothes.
“All this is geared towards complementing government efforts, as ChildFund and its partners are developmental-oriented in child protection and development,” Mr Pimundu said.
He commended their partners for the invaluable support and urged the beneficiary institutions to endeavour to distribute the items to needy children across the country.
For her part, Fatou Mas Jobe, executive director of Operation Save the Children Foundation, said she was delighted to speak on behalf of the First Lady Madam Zineb Jammeh,
“She directed us to present the children’s wear to the following institutions: namely, Shelter for Children, Sinchu Orphanage, Missionaries of Charity, the pediatrics wards of Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, Jammeh Foundation for Peace Hospital, Serekunda General Hospital, Bwiam Hospital, Farrafenni Hospital and Bansang Hospital,” Mrs Jobe said.
“This goes to show that, Her Excellency the First Lady and Chairperson of Operation Save the Children Foundation takes personal responsibility for using resources efficiently, achieving results and being accountable to partners, supporters and most importantly the children.”
She used the opportunity to thank ChildFund The Gambia for the gesture and support in the welfare and wellbeing of Gambian children.
Mustapha Kebbeh, programme director of ChildFund, said ChildFund looks at three priority stages as a child protection and development organization: the 0-5 year age cohort looks at such aspects as child health programming, nutrition, child protection and education, and ECD.
The second age cohort looks at children from 6-14 year mostly into child rights perspective working with the Education Ministry in this sector, with the department of social welfare and other key partners in supporting children welfare in The Gambia.
The third cohort deals with skills and involves youth, which is a whole sector focusing on young adolescents and young adults providing employment preparation and key life skills for youths that would help integrate better in the larger society.
“We see them through their basic, secondary, tertiary, and university education and through vocational skills with the whole approach looking at leadership and citizenship,” Mr Kebbeh said.
In her remarks on the occasion, Aja Fanta Bai Secka, director of Social Welfare, said supporting the deprived and vulnerable children is everybody’s responsibility; as “these are individuals that must be brought on board if we are to achieve sustainable national development”.
Joseph Peacock of the SOS, in his address, said that recently SOS had signed MoU with ChildFund to further support Gambian children in health, education and psycho-social challenges.
According to Mr Peacock, “presently SOS village The Gambia operates two children villages in Bakoteh and Basse with a capacity of 120 children, by extension over 3000 within 5 families”.
