The Gambia, on Saturday May 17, 2008, joined the rest of the world in commemoration of the World Telecommunication Day.

This year’s celebration, which started at the Gamtel Exchange, along Kairaba Avenue, took the form of a march past, with participants drawn from ICT related institutions such as Gamtel/Gamcel, Africell, Commit, Unique Solutions and ITAG. Led by the police band, the marching ended up at GRTS’ new building in Kanifing, where speeches were made, in observance of the day.  

The theme for this year’s celebration was “Connecting people with disabilities: ICT opportunities for all”.

Speaking on the occasion, Karim Sonko, permanent secretary, department of state for communication and information technology, on behalf of Fatim Badjie, secretary of state for communication, information and Technology, dilated on the importance of the day, with special emphasis on the theme.

According to Mr Sonko, The Gambia government is poised to give every child the opportunity to attain a high quality education, including education on information technology.  He added that it was for these reasons that President Jammeh had introduced the Silicon Valley initiative to make sure that every individual, it disable or not, benefit from the present day ICT opportunities.

He called on companies, institutions and government departments, to consider the disabled persons in terms of employment.

For his part, Mr Rein Zwolsman, CEO Gamtel/Gamcel, also called on managing directors and stakeholders of the various institutions to consider disable people in terms of employment.

He said that disabled people should not be called “disabled”, rather, they should be referred to as physically challenged. These, he said, are also capable of doing so many things.

Ida Jallow, acting director of PURA, and Gaira Lamin, from The Gambia Federation of the disabled, expressed similar sentiments.  As part of activities marking the day, Karim Sonko, permanent secretary at the department of state for communication, information and technology, officially inaugurated a new computer lab sponsored by the information technology association of The Gambia (ITAG). The computer lab is situated at the St. John’s school for the deaf in kanifing.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Papa Yusupha Njie, CEO of unique solution, who also doubles as the president of ITAG, said ITAG has a genuine resolve to partner with government, the private sector, civil society organizations (CSOs) and development partners, to develop a vibrant ICT industry in The Gambia.

Mr Njie said that in achieving this goal, the objective of supporting ICT education was of primary importance to ITAG.

“Our assistance to St. John’s school for the deaf in setting up an ICT lab for the children of the school is a direct result of our partnership with government, the Gambian private sector and the CSOs.  Through a sponsorship drive to raise funds about two years ago, the sum of D393,000.00 was raised from the benevolent private sector to support the setting up of this computer lab.

 We would take this opportunity to thank the institutions that contributed to the realization of this dream in providing funds, equipment and services. They are Gacem, Maerskline, Trust Bank Ltd, AGIB, Interstate Shipping, TKM Group, Gambia Shipping, Emkay Stores, General Engineering, Unique Solutions and Netpage, as well as the entire membership of ITAG”, Mr Njie noted.

“Overall St. John’s School for the deaf has purchased seven brand new computers, one multimedia projector and a laser printer.  The computer lab has also been fitted with a functional local area network envisaged to take up to 12 computers.  A wireless internet service called “school net” has also been installed and it provides a charge free unique solutions, making sure that all computers in the lab have access to the internet”, the unique solutions boss revealed.

He expressed hope that in the near future, more can be done to procure more computers, in order to increase access for the students.

Daniel Mendy, principal of St. John’s school for the deaf, thanked ITAG and all those who supported the school.  He promised that they would make good use of the lab.

Mr Lamin Gassama, the IEC and dissemination officer of the Gambia Red Cross Society has revealed that school children are expected to take part in the World Red Cross Day celebration, which will be conducted in grand style this year in the form of a week-long commemoration starting from 7th to 14th May.

Mr Gassama made these remarks during a press briefing held at the Red Cross Society headquarters in Kanifing so as to enlighten the public about  the forthcoming activities. He also made a general call on all school administrators to give permission to their students in order to enable them to participate actively in the numerous events and programmes.  

Gassama noted that blood donations in all regions, conferences on the theme “Together for Humanity’’ and interlink quiz competitions will also be part of the week-long activities  celebration.

Morr B Ceesay, President of The Gambia Technical Training Institute Students’ Union (GTTISU) has expressed profound gratitude and appreciation to President Yahya Jammeh for the donation of a new school bus to their institute.

Speaking to the Top Class columnist, Morr B Ceesay said that as part of the first anniversary of the HIV breakthrough celebration, President Jammeh donated seven (7) buses to seven schools in the Greater Banjul Area among which GTTI was included.

According to him, the school bus will greatly reduce the constraints that the students normally face in travelling to and from school.

He added that the school bus will also help them to travel on excursions to historical and tourist attraction sites in the country.

“I am proud to say that I have the best regime as students’ union president since the establishment of this institution, because for the past 26 years, GTTI has never got a bus but with the help of President Jammeh, whose major priority is education, the school has now acquired one”, he said.

Morr B Ceesay then thanked President Jammeh on behalf of the student union and the management of GTTI for the gesture, and assured the Gambian leader that they will make best use of the gift.

Speaking to this colomnist, Ousainou Bobb, Secretary General of the same union also expressed gratitude to President Jammeh saying that the bus could not have come at a better time than now. Mr Bobb, on behalf of the students and management, assured sought to assure the President of their continued loyalty and support to the Jammeh administration.

The Banjul Breweries Limited will today celebrate in grand style its 30 years of successful operations in the country.

In marking event, the company is poised to lavishly throw a grand party to say ‘thank you’ to its teeming clientele for the sustained patronage.

According to an official at Banjul Breweries, food, drink and music will be on menu to excite the senses. She added that various dignitaries are expected to grace the high profile merry making event.

“On the occasion of its 30 years anniversary, Banjul Breweries (Julbrew) is proud to pledge a gift of one million dalais to the people of The Gambia. This contribution is to complement government’s efforts in key areas including health, education, agriculture and environment and reforestation,” said Mrs. Fatou Sinyan Mberegan, Julbrew’s Financial Controller.

Christians in their large numbers, on Sunday, converged at the St. Therese’s Lower Basic School , to celebrate the Parish Feast of St Therese’s Church.

The celebration which took a grand style, took off the ground with a procession of Priests, Altar-boys and church group representatives, led by young lads dressed in indigenous costumes.   Soon after this part of the mass, all the seven Priests, on the altar three, all of whom came from the neighbouring Senegal, were introduced to the congregation and then continued with the first and second readings from the Holy Book.

Soon after the readings, a group of teenagers, dressed in traditional attires with beads adoring their waists and ankles, cheerfully escortred the Holy Book to the altar for gospel reading.

While delivering his sermon, Fr David Jarju, the chief celebrant and newly appointed Vicar-General, told the congregation that, according to the Holy Bible, St Paul wrote to the people of Roma and told them that each and everyone of them was endowed with a special gift of the Almighty God that they should use in the best interest of   society.

 “It is the same with us, we must know that we have our different gifts from God and these are meant for us to make the world a better place to live in. Those of us, who are gifted as teachers should teach our youth wholeheartedly and those of us endowed with the gift of prophesy should endeavor to preach and do it well, while those with other abilities play their parts effectively,” said Fr Jarju.

According to him, believers at the time, asked Jesus Christ about whom the greatest person will be in the eyes of God, and he replied by putting a child before them and said “if you want to be the greatest, you should be like this child before you”.   He went on to corroborate the statement by asserting that children are very innocent and that they have a very high tendency to obey, love and care for one another.

Meanwhile, Fr Jarju revealed that Saint Therese, the Patroness Saint of the biggest Parish in The Gambia, was born in France and lived a very short, but virtuous life of 24.

The Vicar-General then implored all to hold fast on to prayers and emulate the good deeds of Saint Therese.

Soroptimist International of Banjul (SIB), a worldwide organisation for women in management profession, and a global voice for women, through awareness, advocacy and action, in collaboration with its sister organisations in The Gambia, recently commemorated World Literacy Day at a ceremony held at Soroptimist Head Office in Kanifing. The theme for this year’s celebration was “literacy, key to good health and well-beings”.

Speaking at the ceremony, Beatrice Prome, President of Soroptimist International of Banjul expounded on the importance of literacy.  According to her, education is the key to success, adding that Soroptimist aims to make education affordable to the girl child. 

According to her, Soroptimist has also engaged in vigorous campaigns against negative approaches towards the girl child.

For his part, Mamadou Saho, a representative of FAWEGAM, said literacy liberates the mind from ignorance to more noble pursuits, adding that girls’ education is paramount to national development. He added that “education is escalating everyday and that it is the duty of parents to send girl child to schools”. 

He mentioned that FAWEGAM raised much concern on the education of the girl child. “FAWEGAM is sponsoring about 800 girls in Western Region last year to attain education and among them eight are at the University of The Gambia,” Mr Saho said.

Ismaila Ceesay, Director of Insight Training Centre, said it is not an exaggeration to  celebrate literacy day, and then noted that educating a women is educating a whole nation. 

Other speakers at the occasion included Bakary Camara, a representative of NAWFA and Mrs Cathy Goswell, who chaired the ceremony.

The ceremony was characterised by presentation of songs, by Soroptimist sponsored children.

The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) on Saturday July 7th, 2007, joined sister Associations Worldwide to commemorate the founding of the Olympic Committee.

The commemoration, which took the form of a run called Olympic Day Run, drew more than thousand young and promising athletes.
A 3km race for Lower Basic School children, 5km for Upper Basic and 10km open for Senior Secondary School and others was organised to mark the day.

 A cycle race was also staged at the end of the athletics competition.
Officials from GNOC, National Sports Council, Parents, teachers and a large crowd from the Sporting fraternity graced the occasion which was held at the main gate of Gambega Company Limited on the Banjul-Serekunda high way.

The Director of Youth and Sports, Sait Mbye, deputising for the Secretary of State for Youth, Sports and Religious Affairs, presented certificate to the participants.

Gambega Limited provided refreshment for participants and invitees.