New year babies receive sponsors

The Vice President and Minister of Women Affaires, Aja Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy, on 1st January 2012 presided over the presentation of cash prizes and gifts to the first born babies of the year 2012, at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH) in Banjul.

The Vice President, who represented the First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia, who is the chief patron of Operation Save a Baby, was accompanied by Hon. Fatim Badjie, minister of Health and Social Welfare, Tombong Saidy, Chairman of Operation Save a Baby, Mrs Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay, a board member of Operation Save a Baby, among others.

Gamtel/Gamcel sponsored with D30, 000 and baby materials donated to the first baby of the year, weighing 4.2kg, delivered by one Marcel Sonko, a native of Manjai Kunda, at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH)

The Gambia Ports Authority sponsored with D30, 000 and baby materials donated to the first baby girl of the year, weighing 2.9kg, delivered by one Binta Jaiteh, a native of Baddibou Minteh Kunda at the AFPRC General Hospital in Farafenni.

The first baby boy of the year, weighing 3.2kg, was delivered by Awa Jarju, a native of Wulinkama at the Sukuta Health Centre, and was sponsored by Trust Bank Gambia Limited with a donation of D30, 000 and baby materials.

The Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) sponsored with D30, 000 donated to the first baby twins of the year, weighing 2.3kg and 2.2kg, delivered by Oulaye Cham, a native of Sanchaba Sulay Jobe at the Sukuta Health Centre.

According to officials of the Operation Save a Baby committee, from the said amounts, fifteen thousand dalasis will be saved in various banks for each child to sponsor their education, and the remaining D15000 will be given to their parents to take care of the child.

Speaking shortly after the presentation of the gifts, Vice President Njie-Saidy commended the sponsors and expressed gratitude to the nurses for a job-well-done.

While congratulating the parents of the newly-born babies, the Vice President called on other institutions to come on board and complement the efforts of the First Lady, noting that government alone cannot do it all.

Tombong Saidy, Chairman of Operation Save a Baby, said this year marks 13 years of the existence of the initiative.

According to him, thanks to the continuing support and guidance of the First Lady, as the chief patroness and the support of President-elect Yahya Jammeh, Operation Save a Baby has continued to complement government’s efforts in developing the health sector.

He noted that contributions to Operation Save a Baby, which runs into millions of dalasi, has touched on the lives of hundred of thousands of Gambians through the purchase of equipment, medication, renovation of the maternity ward at RVTH, among others.

Fatim Badjie, minister of Health and Social Welfare, expressed gratitude and commended the sponsors for their contribution towards the health sector. She also commended the nurses for their hard work.

Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay, a board member of Operation Save a Baby, thanked the sponsors and urged other institutions to emulate the sponsors to support the health sector, noting that government alone cannot do it all.

Speaking on behalf of the sponsors, Mbasireh Badjie of Gamtel, Ebrima K.S Dampha of the Social Security, Ida Cham of Trust Bank and Sunkaru Jarju of the Gambia Ports Authority all underscored their willingness to always contribute their quota to national development.

Mrs Fatou Ceesay Nyabally, principal private secretary at the RVTH, also gave some gifts including tie and die materials to the mothers of the newly-born babies.