The TOT is designed to build the capacity of lecturers on animal welfare for inclusiveness and sustainability of the animal welfare course at the Gambia College.
Welcoming the participants, Musa Sowe, chairperson of the event, said WTS Vets project started implementation in The Gambia in 2016.
The project, he said, provides technical support to the Gambia College in the area of animal health and welfare education.
"With Vets united partnership, animal welfare has been introduced into the academic curriculum of both institutions."
Sowe informed that since the start of the project in the country, more than 1000 students from the Gambia College and the University of the Gambia have successfully completed courses on animal welfare and are currently stationed at various ministries and technical departments contributing their quota either directly or indirectly in improving animal welfare in the country.
For his part, Abubacarr Jallow, principal at the Gambia College, said as part of its sustainability strategy to build the capacity of animal science lecturers at the College, WTS Vets United convened its first training of trainers (TOT) targeting lecturers at the University of the Gambia and the Gambia College.
"It is in this vein that this follow up Training of Trainer’s (TOT) workshop has been designed to consolidate and further build on the gains made in 2021."
Also speaking, Dr. Kebba Daffeh, National Coordinator of WTS Vets United, said this is the second time they are conducting this training of trainers.
"WTS Vets is a registered animal welfare charity and we are now on 6 years of implementation. Our programmes have impacted greatly in the country as our major outcome is that animal welfare is now going into the academic curriculum for both the University of The Gambia and The Gambia College as well as main streams in the work of institutions such as the Department of Livestock Services."
Dr Daffeh acknowledged that animal welfare in The Gambia used to be a business for charities, like The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust.
