The day’s event held at Sare Gubu Basic Cycle School campus, attracted over a hundred participants from Sare Gubu Basiru and the satellite communities. The forum was aimed at enlightening female students and their parents on the importance of education as well as school retention.
It was also designed to raise the community awareness on crosscutting issues such as political tolerance, livestock vaccination and measures to obtain life-skills.
Welcoming the participants, Alhagie Sura Bah, village head expressed delight in organising the sensitization forum and commended participants for their turn out.
Saidal Ali Bah, president for SGSA said the association seeks to promote education in the village and its surroundings as well as to reinforce unity among the residents.
“If you learned without serving the community then the importance of your education is still lacking. Therefore, this association deems it necessary to organise this forum in order to enlighten those who were not fortunate to be educated,” he said.
The annual event, he added, is also meant to improve the level of awareness of the village and the surroundings.
Bah described frequent school dropouts as the main challenge of the students’ association, saying some students usually drop out from school, which he said, needs to be addressed with urgency.
Amie Bah, a special guest for the annual event said frequent drop out of the girl-child from school is factored by major cultural misconceptions.
“Many believed the only viable thing for a mature girl is to get married.”
She added that many are of the belief that women can only be a housewives, but she was quick to dismiss that misconception, saying “I am telling you that education cannot prevent a girl from having a husband. Some educated women are working at the same time marriage. They are caring their husbands as expected.”
“Lets us not see marriage as something that would prevent people from learning,” she added.
While urging women to provide a level playing ground for girl-child with regards to education, Ms. Bah also advised all girls to be dedicated to their education in order to attain their goals.
“If your girl-child is going to school allow and support her to learn. Because if you want to enjoy in the future you have to scarifice today,” she advised her fellow women.
Presenting on political tolerance and freedom of association, lawyer Basiru L. Bah, member of the association, cited that Sections 39 and 26 of the 1997 Constitution have guaranteed every one of full age and stable mind a right to a voter’s card, and right to vote for his or her choice of a candidate without any interference.
However, he said, the law does not mandate anyone to force a person to vote for a particular person, while urging people to avoid all forms of political conflict among them.
He noted that all election laws originated from the 1997 Constitution and anything done contrary to the Constitution is illegal.
Samba Jawo, Fulbeh Africa rep described the event as insightful while appealing to SGSA to keep up the momentum.
Muhammed Bah commended the entire residents for their contribution to the success of the annual programme, while Ousman B. Bah, treasurer of SGSA advised the youth to acquire skills to ensure that they have financial self-sufficiency.
