The celebration began with a march pass by five invited schools from Bwiam Lower Basic School to the Foni ding Lodge premises.
This year’s event was held under the theme "Think before you follow. Building Social and Financial Resilience for Life".
Speaking at the event, Edi Bah, manager Foni Ding Ding Federation, said Aflatoun is an Arabic word meaning “explore” with the aim of helping young children to understand their rights, responsibilities and the worth of citizenship to make best use of available resources.
The initiative, he added, also helps children to be financially and socially empowered as clearly stipulated in the elements of Aflatoun.
"Personal exploration, rights and responsibility, saving and spending, planning and budgeting and social and financial enterprise, it's obvious that any child who goes through these five core values will certainly be socially and financially empowered".
He expressed appreciation to Child Fund The Gambia for their foresight in collaboration with the FDDF and MoBSE for introducing the concept in schools.
To that end, he urged school children to make best use of the opportunity and to explore, investigate, think and act.
Fatou A. Jassey, Educational specialist Child Fund -The Gambia, underscored the importance of the day, reminding that Aflatoun day is celebrated all over the world yearly.
She spoke of the positive change this concept has brought especially in the behavior and conduct of children at school, further acknowledging that it helps student financially as many children have already set up their business to save money, start gardening, poultry and other gainful undertakings.
Seedy Jammeh, Principal Education Officer at the Regional Education Directorate 2 East, reiterated the pivotal role that the concept has brought to children in the Gambia, saying the initiative seeks to promote standards in education in the Gambia.
"The Aflatoun in educational curriculum mainly focuses on employing children to become responsible proactive citizen and agents of change".
"Aflatoun has yielded success in quality education, which the ministry is striving to achieve".
To that end, he urged the pupils to be committed, disciplined and hardworking.
