The items, which comprises 666 packets of laundry soap, 666 pieces of plastic bucket and 666 bottles of bleach, are worth D480,000.
The gesture, according to federation officials, is designed to inculcate the spirit of personal and environmental hygiene practices in communities.
At the handing over ceremony held at the Federation’s office in Jambanjelly, Nfamara Badjie, advisor to the federation, underscored the importance of promoting sanitation and hygiene in communities, acknowledging that cleanliness is key to the health and well-being of people.
He thanked the Federation and by extension ChildFund The Gambia for their foresight and initiative in promoting the health of children, who are the future of any country.
To that end, Badjie reminded that the development of any community resides in the hands of the citizen and thus urged beneficiaries to promote sanitation in their respective communities.
For his part, Alieu Mendy, Ding Ding Yiriwa Federation manager, gave a brief history of the federation, saying the federation is a community-based Oragnisation operating in Kombo North and South Districts.
Mendy said they currently have 10 field offices with an enrolment of 3,794 children in their programme. Out of this figure, he disclosed that 2,402 have got sponsors, while 1,392 are yet to have.
He informed that their intervention takes place in key areas such as health and secured infants, which covers children aged up to 5 years; educated and confident children between 6 and 14 years, and skilled and involved youth between 15 and 24 years.
Commenting on the sanitary items donated, Mendy said the overall objective is to enhance clean personal and environmental hygiene for good health. That, he believes, would significantly help in reducing environmental-related diseases for a better living atmosphere.
Mendy also used the occasion to highlight some of their activities and programmes, acknowledging that the federation implements these programmes through partnership with like-minded organisations, communities and individuals.
Yusupha Tamba, Early Childhood Development Focal Person in Kombo North, expressed delight to be associated with the event.
The initiative is geared towards promoting good hygiene and sanitation in communities, he clarified, calling on beneficiaries to ensure judicious use of the items.
Deputising for the governor of West Coast Region, Kaddy Jammeh, a staff of the Governor’s Office, expressed gratitude to the federation for the laudable initiative geared towards improving the life and well-being of people in the communities.
She made refence to the old adage that: ‘a healthy nation is a wealthy nation’, stating that the items would go a long way in complementing government’s efforts in promoting the health and well-being of people.
She described health as fundamental and key component in any meaningful development and further called on stakeholders to work with government to help bring about robust development in local communities.
Jammeh acknowledged that government alone cannot do it all, thus the need for greater collaboration by all stakeholders to help bring meaningful initiatives to communities.
To this end, she spoke of the Governor’s office resolve and readiness to work with the federation in promoting grassroots community development in the country.
Adama Jallow, representing NGO Affairs Agency, while acknowledging the effort of the federation in empowering local communities, further expressed their interest to working with the federation in the interest of children of the country.
Pa Ousman Badjie and Francis Gomez, deputising for the Chief of Kombo North, both lauded Ding Ding Yiriwa Federation for the foresight and called on beneficiaries to use the items for the intended purpose.
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