The media tour of the funded projects and programs, held annually in February/March, was designed to provide ChildFund's development partners or donors and general audience essential information and facts about the development of the project.
The tour will help to provide an independent account of the successes of ChildFund’s interventions for children and their families through projects and programs implemented in communities across the country.
The first leg of the tour, which covered rural areas, is set to end on 13 February 2026 while the second leg focusing on the West Coast Region will take place on 16 and 17 February 2026.
In an interview with ex-circumcisers, project beneficiaries who were provided with milling machines as an alternative source of income describe the project intervention as a life saver for females.
One Adama Jallow, an ex-circumciser from Torro Alassanan, Jokadu District, stated that the milling machine provided by ChildFund to their community has become a game changer to them.
This project intervention, she said, has helped them to drop the knife.
She emphasises that no female child undergoes female circumcision in her community, saying that at the time they were practising the act, they were not aware that it would be harmful to their children. She commended ChildFund for their timely intervention.
Adama Jallow explained that from the earnings gained from the milling machine, she pays herself, her two colleagues, the operator, and subsequently saves some money.
She also attested: “Last month, we shared D5,000 each, paid the operator, and made savings. This helped me solve most of my family and social needs."
Also speaking, Mariama Jawara, an ex-circumciser in Bakhalarr, recounted that they had attended many capacity-building training with Dr Isatou Touray of GAMCOTRAP in relations to the harmful practices.
She noted that with the guidance of Dr Touray, she is now well equipped, enlightened with a broadened knowledge on the effects of FGM.
"We never knew that we were going to have anything to depend on since we decided to drop the knife until the initiative of the milling machines came from the UNFPA and GAMCOTRAP," she indicated.
She explained that the coming of the milling machine has been a life-changing point for her and her community.
