At the event, the NGO unveiled its upcoming strategic interventions with a focus on promoting women's participation in politics.
With a reputable track record spanning over a decade, the media consultancy organization have previously provided comprehensive training to numerous media professionals across diverse fields.
Welcoming the gathering, Bakary Njie, Administration and Finance Director at Media Agenda, expressed appreciation to its partners and supporters for the long-standing partnership, acknowledging that media is a valuable partner to the NGO.
"However, I want to remind that the primary purpose of this breakfast is to turn a new page and direction by directing our focus towards women participation in politics."
Njie recalled the numerous media advocacy conducted by the NGO, noting that none of these achievements would have been possible without the support of partners.
He commended the British High Commission and US Embassy for their continued support over the years.
In his presentation, Madi Ceesay, founder and director of Media Agenda, who doubles as NAM for Serrekunda West, disclosed that they are re-starting a new focus and as such their attention this time around is shifted towards women's participation in politics.
"So, Media Agenda’s subsequent activities will lean towards that and of course with our core mandate of enhancing the capacity of media and championing human rights and democracy."
Ceesay explained that though the NGO has not been active in the recent past, they would continue to enhance the capacity of key stakeholders. The lawmaker spoke briefly about the history of Media Agenda and that its birth is a result of the unconstitutional closure of Independent newspaper.
Ceesay explained other reasons that gave birth to Media Agenda, adding that he was one time president of The Gambia Press Union (GPU) and general manager of Independent newspaper.
"So, for those of you who know about the Independent newspaper, it was one of the most critical papers in the country during former President Jammeh's time and its reports are very critical to the government and objective.”
He recalled that in 2016 after the foiled coup headed by late Col. Ndure Cham, the paper ran a story which resulted in its closure.
Though the paper ran a correction the following day, Ceesay indicated that then President Jammeh and his people used that as means to settle scores with the management of Independent newspaper.
"Being the general manager of Independent newspaper, I was arrested alongside my Editor-in-Chief Musa Saidykhan and the reporter of the article - Lamin Fatty. We were incarcerated at the then NIA and think of anything that used to happen there has happened to them."
Ceesay also spoke highly of their pool of resource personnel as well as their new interventions and focus in promoting women’s participation in politics.
