SJAG receives office materials

Months under the leadership of the newly elected president Sainabou Kujabi, the Sports Journalists Association of The Gambia (SJAG) on 31 December 2010 opened its office at the Daily News premises with donation of office equipment from the Gambian Community and some Norwegian friends in Norway.

The donated items included three computers, a printer, office furniture, documentation files, a set of football jerseys, and two footballs.

The items were received by the SJAG executive barely two days after securing an office at the Media Agenda/ Daily News premises.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Alagie Jobarteh, a member of the Gambian community in Bergen, Norway, said he was pleased to assist the sports journalists association and the media in The Gambia.

According to him, journalists are partners who deserve maximum support. “We are willing to do our best to help you whenever we can help,” he said while wishing the SJAG the best in its work.

Mr Jobarteh was optimistic that the donated materials would help the association in the conduct of its affairs and activities.

For his part, Samba Njie, another member of the Gambian community in Norway, said their intervention was meant to ease the “long standing” struggle of the country’s sports journalists in securing office materials.

“We all know the essence of having a functional office in any organisation,” he noted, saying that was why they did not hesitate to combine with Askoy-Town, their Norwegian friends, to give a helping hand to the Gambian sports journalists.

Madi M.K. Ceesay, director of Media Agenda cum publisher of Daily News newspaper, expressed delight at hosting the SJAG, describing its members as friends and colleagues.

Mr Ceesay says most of his staff members are members of the SJAG, which shows a strong symbiotic relation between his media house and the association.

Sainabou Kujabi, president of the association, who is sports editor of The Point newspaper, acknowledged that the donor intervention on the last day of 2010 was the first major boost in the history of her association.

“The cumulative boost for the sports association is timely and deserving,” she said, adding that the donated materials have served as an icing on the cake of her association’s success in securing an office.

Sainabou used the opportunity to thank the Gambian community in Norway for their gesture.