The
Kanifing Municipality Red Cross Branch (KMRCB) is a branch under the auspices
of the Gambia Red Cross Society (GRCS) and is one of the strongest branches in
The Gambia.
It
has a volunteer-based of about 10,000 and 56 registered links in both schools
and communities within the municipality.
The
branch on Saturday held a presentation at the Old Jeshwang Primary School to
give an account of the branch activities for the past year, and also present
awards to parents and deserving volunteers.
In
her statement, Fatou Gaye, the acting Secretary General of the GRCS, said Red
Cross volunteers, in particular, are involved in many humanitarian activities
geared toward reducing the suffering of the more vulnerable, wherever they may
be found.
They
are always in the forefront in supporting and protecting the dignity of their
communities; they provide first-aid coverage
in
public gatherings, sensitisation on basic health and personal hygiene, disease
prevention and control.
They
also serve as community surveillance in risky and difficult situations.
She
added that they are also involved in the task of protecting human dignity,
achieving noble goals such as eradicating poverty and hunger, intolerance and
discrimination; and other threats to human dignity, which would be impossible
without the energy and dedication of volunteers.
Red
Cross volunteers believe that the task goes beyond merely protecting human dignity;
they need to actively promote human dignity, she continued.
Everyone
should continue to work with the Red Cross and volunteer organizations
everywhere, so as to create a more conductive environment for volunteerism, Ms
Gaye added.
The
branch chairman, Mustapha Bittaye, read the yearly activity report, and said in
2016 the branch implemented the beneficiary communities (Bencom) Ebola project,
which was funded by the European Union (EU), IFRC and the Spanish Red Cross.
It
was a project geared toward Ebola preparedness and prevention.
It
also focused on awareness creation on prevalence of Ebola and other diseases
within the communities.
He
added that from 5 to 10 September, the Gambia Red Cross Society organized a TOT
training on dissemination, held at Basse for all the branches.
