Gov’t launches US$80m Agricultural project
Feb 10, 2021, 1:07 PM
The Gambia government through the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday 9 February 2021 launched a staggering US$80 million dollar resilience for a transformative smallholder project.
Madam Bio was invited to The Gambia by the American International University in West Africa and conferred an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters on her in recognition of her outstanding humanitarian and philanthropic intervention across the globe.
Speaking to the press, Madam Fatima stated that as first lady of Sierra Leone, she was on record to have hosted one of the biggest peaceful protest marches against gender and child abuse, adding that the campaign was not only attended by her counterparts in the region but raised international attention to the issue of rape and gender abuse.
"This marks the start of my flagship ‘Hands off Our Girls’ campaign. In 2002 I also launched the biggest award ceremony exclusively meant to celebrate and promote women which was the Gambia Women of Excellence Award which championed issues that give women voices and freedom," she noted.
Madam Bio described the Hands off Our Girls initiative as the biggest and most impactful child rights campaign that led to a presidential declaration of national emergency on rape and sexual violence and the ultimate review in strengthening of sexual offence Act.
She also highlighted the launch of the free sanitary pads distribution campaign as an offspring of Hands off Our Girls Campaign and to complement the free quality education initiative of the Maada Bio led Government of Sierra Leone.
"It's unfair to see school girls not going to school because they can't afford to get sanitary pads. Menstruation is natural so this should not warrant any girl to stay out of school," Lady Bio says.
Madam Bio, however, highlighted that her greatest strength is her ability to achieve any goal she sets; stating that some say is divine, people close to her say it is pure undiluted hard work while others insist it is a combination of both divine intervention and hard work.
She said she played a major role in the establishment of the first Special Court that is now being used to prosecute rape offenders in her country and the surroundings, and that she is currently working with the first lady of Liberia in fighting rape because perpetrators do take off and hide so their collaboration make it easier to trace them.
"I will continue to fight for women and children issues in Africa. Everyone knows I have been a gender advocate and will always be in the forefront in seeing women and children live safely and happily," she concluded.
The Gambia government through the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday 9 February 2021 launched a staggering US$80 million dollar resilience for a transformative smallholder project.
Mawlud Faal of The Gambia Police Force (GPF) and Ousman Jallow of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) yesterday testified before the TRRC, giving recollections of their knowledge on the arrest and detention of about 52 West African migrants who were stranded in the country on 22 July 2005.
President Adama Barrow on Tuesday told supporters in Foni Jarrol that his government has over $175 million investment plan in the field of Agriculture.
Dodou Kassa Jatta, a strong militant of the United Democratic Party ( UDP), was yesterday paraded before Magistrate Mben Faal of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court and charged on six counts of rioting after proclamation contrary to section 74 of the Criminal Code, preventing or obstructing the making of proclamation contrary to Section 75 of the Criminal Code, rioting injuring buildings, machinery etc contrary to Section 77 of the Criminal Code, threatening violence contrary to Section 84 of the Criminal Code, common nuisance contrary to Section160 of the Criminal Code and idle and disorderly contrary to Section 166 of the Criminal Code.