As part of its public outreach programmes, the US Embassy in The Gambia, on Tuesday, continued its free internet research training for students in senior secondary schools within the Greater Banjul Area.

The training was held at the embassy’s conference hall, located at its premises along the Kairaba Avenue. 

Stephen M Mallinger, the information resource officer at the US Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, delivered a presentation on internet research techniques. Mr Mallinger, who is also the regional officer for 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, told the Daily Observer that this training is part of the US embassy’s outreach programmes to the public.

“We are anxious to work with the youths and the cultural community.  We are fortunate that The Gambia’s official language is English, therefore, the American online information resources are quite appropriate for The Gambia,” he said. 

For his part, Mohammadou M Njie (Papa), the public diplomacy and cultural affairs assistant, thanked the students for responding to their invitation. 
He advised the students to work hard and make the best use of the knowledge gained.

Tashawna S Bethea, political and economic officer at the United States Embassy in Banjul, has commended the Youths and Women of Mandinaba for the successes they have been registering in Kombo East, in collaboration with the US Peace Corps Volunteers.

Mrs Bethea also promised the US embassy and the US Peace Corps office's continued commitment towards supporting the community based projects and initiatives in the areas of skills development.

Mrs Bethea was speaking, yesterday, at the Mandinaba Community Library, while on a tour of projects initiated by the US Peace Corps volunteers. According to her, Peace Corps are very important in African societies, adding that they focus on developing the capacity of the local people.

Mr Kawsu Sanno, chairperson of the Mandinaba Youth and Sports Committee, said the ‘Nafaa for All Initiative’ is a project that was initiated by his committee, in collaboration with a Peace Corps volunteer, Lesley Copeland. He added that the project is in three phases, one of which was the establishment of the library.

According to him, the library project as the first phase is currently playing a pivotal role in empowerment and enhancing of sustainable quality education.

Mrs Kaddy Sanyang, chairperson of the Mandinaba Women Recycling Group (a group that engages in recycling waste plastic bags into valuable materials like bags and wallets) said Lesley Copeland, a Peace Corps volunteer in the village, initiated the group. According to her, they were trained by one Isatou Ceesay, a Peace Corps consultant who taught them how to recycle the waste plastic bags.

“With only sixteen members at first, we quickly understood the techniques used in the skills within a week,” Mrs Sanyang said. She then pointed out some constraints faced by her group, including the issue of a meeting ground and suggested the possibility of having a skills training centre.

For his part, Mr Ousman Bah, Wings of the Dawn representative in The Gambia, said that his organization is a charitable organisation based in Forth Worth, Texas, in the US. According to him, Wings of the Dawn aims at improving the level of education in African countries like The Gambia, Nigeria and Mozambique.

He went on to say that the organisation signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mandinaba Youth and Sports committee in 2007, and that since then they have donated two consignments of books to the Mandinaba community library. He said that those books have benefited almost all the Lower and Upper Basic schools in Kombo East.

Ousman Manneh, the library assistant at the Mandinaba Community Library said:  “Since the establishment of the library, it has been playing a pivotal role in the development of the schools in the area, by improving the reading standards of the students.”

According to him, the library has contributed in raising the rate of passes in examinations among students. He further pointed out that the library used to offer classes for students and organised fora for them to discuss burning issues like teenage pregnancy, the reasons for students failing their exams, and drug and alcohol abuse, which are the major problems in our society.

Mrs Elizabeth Sosseh Khan, the former community liaison officer at the US Embassy in Banjul has been appointed protocol assistant.

According a press release from the embassy, Mrs Khan obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland at College Park, in The United States of America. She has worked with various reputable companies both in the USA and The Gambia during her professional career.

She will be responsible for the full range of protocol functions. This includes the handling of all protocol matters for the ambassador and deputy chief of mission with officials of the government of The Gambia, the diplomatic corps, key members of the local community, and other contacts as required.

“The empowerment of women is irrevocably tied to the safety, security, and prosperity of the world. The enfranchisement of women can no longer be a simple aspiration”, said US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice in the inauguration of international women of courage, and quoted by the American ambassador Barry wells. The recent award to Dr Isatou Touray, the executive director of Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices  (GAMCOTRAP ) as ‘woman of courage’ by the American Embassy is a real joy for all women in The Gambia because this serves as a signal to women that the struggle and women’s contribution to national development has been recognized not only by the Gambian government but also by the international community. This award is timely and is not a surprise for that matter, because women like Dr Touray deserve such recognition as she is always in the forefront in fighting for the rights of women.

 During the award ceremony, the American ambassador to The Gambia, Barry Wells, has said that in 2007 the Department of State established the Secretary of State’s international Women of Courage Award. Through this annual award, he added, the United States honors the courage of extraordinary women worldwide who have played transformative roles in their societies. “ Each year, U.S. Embassies around the world are invited to nominate women from their respective countries. In 2007 the US.Embassy in Banjul nominated Hannah Forster, Executive Director of the African Center on Democracy and Human Rights Studies.  Ambassador Wells described women as essential agents in bringing about change and an often overlooked resource in the preservation of human security, in overcoming transnational dangers, and in managing threats arising from tyranny, trafficking, poverty, and disease.

Wells further went on to say that the achievement of the United States’ mission of advancing democracy, prosperity, and security worldwide, was not possible without the empowerment of women. “ If women cannot participate in the political process, there can be no real democracy, if they are deprived of economic opportunity, development is crippled, and if women are not educated, they cannot pass knowledge to their children, and there is no true security for the next generation.

Ambassador Wells however agreed that poverty is more rampant when women lack education and economic opportunity, and justice is thwarted when women are denied the right to play a political role in their nations.  He added, “And in today’s modern world, no country can achieve lasting success, stability, and security, if half of its population is sitting on the sidelines. On that note we are encouraged by the leadership of women of The Gambia at all levels in the governance of the nation.”

 Finally, Ambassador Wells urged the international community to make sure that they hear the voices of women and account for their concerns whenever they seek to establish or to keep the peace.  “If we do that, we are actually making the job of keeping the peace easier,” he emphasized.

In receiving the award Dr Touray expressed appreciation and highlighted the work they do in GAMCOTRAP which she said is grounded in grassroots activism, working with communities in trying to understand the issues inimical to their health and well being.

GAMCOTRAP, she noted, is a Women’s Rights NGO, which promotes women’s social, political, economic and cultural rights and specifically focuses on sexual and reproductive health rights. The organization creates awareness on Traditional Practices and aims at the preservation of beneficial practices as well as the elimination of harmful traditional practices that are inimical to the well being of women and children, particularly the girl-child.

“GAMCOTRAP focuses on the following objectives:

1. To carry out research into traditional practices that affect the sexual and reproductive health of women and girl children in The Gambia.

2. To identify and promote traditional practices which improve the status of girl-children and women.

3. To create awareness on the effects of harmful traditional practices on the health of girl-children and women, in particular FGM, nutritional taboos, child/early marriages and wife inheritance etc’.

 Dr Touray added that in pursuit of their mandate, GAMCOTRAP was able to work closely with target groups in communities that are critical to its advocacy on Women and children’s rights in The Gambia. “ I am pleased to inform you that GAMCOTRAP in collaboration with the Government of the Gambia through its community sensitization program have achieved some positive change through its advocacy work. Among these are the signing and ratification of the international conventions namely the CRC, CEDAW, The African Protocol on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol)’. She however applauded the government of The Gambia for the positive stand they have taken in providing formal equality for women.  Touray also urged the NAMS to pass the Women’s Bill which is currently under review and call on the Government of The Gambia to initiate the promulgation of a law banning Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

“Rights education in the communities has brought in changes in some communities. You can only demand your rights when you know what rights you have, and can only execute the rights when you know for what purpose. As I speak today 18 Sheroines have understood the relevant articles in all the international women’s rights conventions to have reached the decision to stop Female Genital Mutilation. Their decision to stop has saved many girl children from experiencing the effects of FGM, thus improving the maternal and child mortality rates of Gambia’s health index. “Rights can only have meaning when people are able to uphold them close to home and their practices,” she disclosed.

Dr Touray however pointed out that 40 more circumcisers would be joining the former ones to celebrate yet another declaration by communities to continue to protect their children from FGM.

Dr Touray finally accepted the award with honour to GAMCOTRAP, all its members and the Community Based Facilitators who have been engaged in the struggle for promoting women’s and children’s rights, and also appreciated the support and assistance rendered by the Local Government Structures who work closely with them to facilitate positive change.

“This honour gives us the courage and commitment to continue the work we are doing. The sacrifice is worth it because of the difference it makes in the life of the poor, vulnerable and powerless people we serve.

We are committed in the work we do because there are people who believe in the cause we stand for, and who provide the support needed to continue engaging constructively with the communities we serve. “This initiative is one of such recognition made in our honour,” she concluded.