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The EU Ambassador hands over materials to CPA and FAWEGAM

Aug 19, 2016, 10:05 AM

The Ambassador of the European Union to The Gambia on Tuesday 16th August handed over a vehicle, office furniture and equipment to the Child Protection Alliance, CPA and the Forum for African Women Educationalists, FAWEGAM at a brief ceremony held at the ActionAid premises in Kanifing. The materials are for the implementation of the EU funded project titled “Empowering Child-focused Organisations to Promote Children’s Rights in LRR, CRR and URR”. The two organisations are implementing the project under the overall supervision and management of ActionAid.

In a brief speech, the Executive Director of ActionAid Omar Badji noted that the materials presented are meant to strengthen the capacities of partners to deliver. Badji said most of the people the project is trying to reach are in the rural areas and without a vehicle, it will be extremely difficult for the partners to deliver. ‘The resources being presented today are meant to facilitate the work of the partners for the benefit of the entire country so that children can grow up in an environment conducive to become good citizens who will meaningfully contribute to the national development process’, said Badji. Whilst thanking the EU for the support, Badji urged CPA and FAWE to take good care of the resources provided as the project is meant for the entire country, not just for the two organisations.

Ambassador Lajos expressed happiness at the partners’ commitment to the project and noted that for the EU, investing in children is investing in the future. ’The better educated the children are, the more well-off they are, the better the country will be’, he said. Ambassador Lajos said the set of car keys is not the key to the solution, but rather a key to a tool which takes them further and closer to achieve the objectives. He gave assurances of an EU partnership now and in the future.

Njundu Drammeh, the Executive Director of CPA received the materials on behalf of the partners. Njundu stated that the project is a good investment for Gambian children because countries that are doing well are those that have invested in their children. He thanked ActionAid for the trust and the European Union for giving them the tools and resources to implement the project and gave assurances that they will live up to expectation.

The project, Empowering Child-focused Organisations to Promote Children’s Rights in LRR, CRR and URR aims to contribute to gender equity in The Gambia through the promotion of children’s rights to ensure that their rights and needs are respected and fulfilled in the 3 regions. It directly targets Children in schools including those with disabilities, religious/traditional and women leaders, school authorities, parents, members of women’s groups and child protection committees, area councilors, media and legal practitioners, law enforcement agents, female circumcisers/traditional birth attendants, policy makers and legislators.