By Mustapha Jarju
Child Fund International The Gambia has donated two thousand two hundred and fifty (2,250) hygiene Kits to children in Foni Dining Ding Federation (FDDF) and it is meant for distribution to children at the affected communities by Casamance conflict.
Speaking at the donation ceremony held at Sibanor, Musu Kuta Komma Bah, Country Director, Child Fund said the hygiene kits are part of the Child Fund’s response to the clash between the MFDC separatists and the Senegalese forces which resulted in the displacement of many children and their families. Child Fund the Gambia operates to promote the wellbeing of children and their families living in deprivation, and vulnerability.
“We are here to distribute 2,250 emergency hygiene kits to children, each kit contains hand and face towels, soap, body shampoo, tooth brush, toothpaste, comb and nail cutter,” this are meant to control hygiene situations at homes,” she said.
“When the National Disaster Management Agency delivered its emergency assessment report on the internally displaced person’s one of the key things was the congestion of the homes affecting the hygiene situation. We took up this step because if you don’t have proper hygiene, you don’t have proper health and if you don’t have proper health you cannot concentrate in school and your development will be challenge as a child,” she noted.
She noted that they want to work with the children to make sure that they are healthy educated and, confident at their youthful age, saying this cannot be done without partners and their first partners in fulfilling their efforts for child development is the parents.
Alagie Jarju, Board Chairman of the Foni Ding Ding Federation, thanked Child Fund for the efforts they are making in children development especially within Foni.
“Due to the impact of the Casamance within Foni the Ministry of Education has decided to postponed the grade 9 (GABECE), so that students in the Fonis that didn’t attend classes for months can also catch up with the other mates in other parts of the country,” he explained
Added that among other plans they organised extra classes, paying some teaches, and also bought drugs worth D150,000.00 for the community clinics in Kampasa, Somita and one other village as a health emergency respond to the affected communities. “Previously we provide four hundred (400) street lights to some of our sponsored children villages,” he said.
Nyima Colley who spoke on behalf of the children commended Child Fund for the support.
