The
Management and Board Members of Kombo North Federation over the weekend met
with influential community leaders at the Lamin Health Center.
The daylong interface forum between community,
influential leaders, staff and board members of the federation, parents and
enrolled children in the ChildFund sponsorship programme, was on the theme:
“Promote community ownership and participation in child protection.”
Speaking
at the forum, the Kombo North Federation Manager, Alieu Mendy, said the purpose
of the forum was to meet and discuss with parents, partner institutions,
stakeholders and influential leaders on issues of concern affecting their
sponsored children, and carve the way forward for effective sponsorship
management in the district.
It
was envisaged that such a mega interface forum was necessary to map out
sustainable approaches to the sponsorship management of child development in
the district.
Mr
Mendy also added that the forum was meant to serve as an opportunity for
parents and influential leaders to interact and exchanges ideas, for better
understanding of their role and responsibility towards their sponsored
children, and also to clear any doubts or concerns regarding their sponsored
children.
He
explained that Kombo North Federation is a community-based organisation
affiliated to ChildFund The Gambia, and comprises five different community
clusters namely, Bijilo, Sinchu Sori, Banjulinding, Lamin and Makumbaya, all
within the Kombo North district of the West Coast Region.
The
federation manager also disclosed that the Kombo North Federation office in
Banjulinding is mainly to support parents of deprived, excluded and vulnerable
children and youths to acquire requisite education, nutrition and livelihood
skills to participate in national development.
Mr
Mendy also said the Kombo North Federation is a registered community-based
organization (CBO) under the Anthony General Chambers and under the Companies
Act as a non-profit making entity.
He
expressed appreciation about the level of participation of the influential
leaders and parents, specially the Paramount Chief of The Gambia who has been
very active in the implementation of ChildFund activities since day one.
According
to the federation manager, the interface forum was the first of its kind in the
history of the federation, and was one of the most successful forums ever
conducted by the federation in Kombo North.
Mr
Mendy also dilated on the coverage, structure, vision, mission and intervention
areas and approaches used by the federation.
He
said among the intervention activities was to select household backyard
gardening for increase vegetable
intake at household level; conduct environmental sanitation campaign
across the CAs for safe and clean
environment for children; and, also support
parents in meeting the needs of enrolled children and medical
bills .
Other
intervention activities include to support parents in paying the tuition bills
of enrolled children, now done through economic empowerment of families through
established cluster revolving loans, as well as conduct a monthly radio
programme on sponsorship and general development activities.
In
his remarks at the forum, the Paramount Chief of The Gambia, Alhaji Demba
Sanyang, praised to the Almighty Allah and the Gambian leader for creating the
conducive environment for the peace and tranquility the country continues to
enjoy in the sub-region.
He also thanked the management and board of
the Kombo North Federation through their manager for their foresight and
brilliant idea in organising the interface forum.
He
described this type of forum as very timely and necessary, in the sense that it
was all geared towards bringing more understanding and a cordial relationship
between the parents and management of the federation, so as to ensure smooth
operation of their sponsored children.
Paramount
Chief Demba Sanyang also called on the parents to take the federation seriously
and take ownership of the federation, as it is out to help parents to have
quality education for their sponsored children.
The
Paramount Chief also urged the Alkalolu, parents and women in particular to
work hand in glove with the Kombo North Federation, while commending women for
their firm stance towards the welfare of their children
Paramount
Chief Sanyang also commended the manager of the Kombo North Federation and his
team for their hard work, and commitment in sensitising parents on the current
status of their sponsored children.
Momodou Jallow, regional area manager
ChildFund office based in Brikama, spoke extensively on the new global strategy
and other relevant issues relating to the work of ChildFund.
According
to him, ChildFund’s support is all geared towards complementing the
government’s efforts, as government alone could not do it all.
He
said the participation of all and sundry, especially parents and influential
community leaders is key, adding that Kombo North Federation management and
board members coming up with this kind of interface forum with community
influential leaders and parents, was worthy of commendation.
He
said the forum was very timely and long overdue, as it would help to clear many
doubts about the role of the influential community leaders and the federation
with respect to the sponsored children.
Mr
Jallow also highlighted the relationship between the federation and ChildFund
office, which he said workS through agreed annual operational plans and
budgets, all geared towards the development and protection of children.
Among
the issues emerging from the meeting, which was chaired by Dembo Kuyateh, staff
of the federation, was the address of sponsored children which was a major
concern.
Also
Kombo North Federation was urged to make a follow up on the commitment
highlighted in the forum, to have more sensitisation at the village level.
The
forum attracted about twenty-five village heads and their VDC chairpersons.
