Serrekunda
West District Scout Group over the weekend held a three-day first female camp
on the theme: “The importance of girls in our society”.
The purpose of the camp, which was in a form of march-past, seminar, bantaba, drama, debate, guidance and counselling sessions, also aims at bringing together young girls to train and educate them on the importance of girls in society and how they could contribute meaningfully to national development.
Speaking at the openingceremony held at the Latrikunda (L/K) Junior School on Saturday, Ramatoulie Gassama, Gender and Child Rights Officer for the District, said being thegender and child rights officer of Serrekunda West District with the help of the district executives, she deemed it necessary to organise a training camp for young females to sensitise them, their parents, young ones and adults of the community not only on the importance of girls but also on the many deterring factors that affect their wellbeing as future leaders.
“Females are the architect of society; they establish the institution of family life, bring up children, mould them into good citizens, make up ideal family, ideal society and ideal state,” said Gassama.
She added that they serve as the first school of children, contributing immensely to the development of the nation socially, economically, and politically.
They also contribute immensely to the agricultural sector, which is the backbone of The Gambia.
There are many factors that are not only detrimental to their development but are also great threat to their lives both individually and socially, Ms Gassama noted.
Giving examples of teenage pregnancy, early marriage, school dropout, sexual harassment and prostitution, she said they deemed it fitting to enlighten and educate the female-folk on the dangers of these social problems and threats in order to tackle them.
She advised her fellow girls to be conscious of what they do, how they do it, and how they behave wherever they are, as they are role models.
“We need to respect ourselves, respect others and our parents and to live up to the best of our abilities and expectations,” she stated.
Oelestina Sanka, Gender and Child Rights Officer for KMC, said scouting is a voluntary and educational youth movement which is open to all without discrimination on origin, race, or creed in accordance with the method and principles conceived by the founder.
It aims to contribute to the education of young ones through a value system based on the scout law and promise, she added.
She thanked and commended the Gender and Child Rights Officer for Serrekunda West District for bringing female scouts together under one umbrella.
The female camp would be used as a pilot face of the coming national female camp, she added, calling on other districts to emulate Serrekunda West in bringing young people together.
Bun Njie, speaking on teenage pregnancy and early marriage, said he hoped after the camp the girls would show a difference when they returned to their various schools.
He advised girls to be careful and avoid teenage pregnancy and early marriage.
“Equip yourselves and be confident of yourselves,” she concluded.
