A 40 year-old woman has reportedly given birth after 22 years barrenness, according to report monitored on GRTS.

Mariama Conteh, residing at Louvel Street in Banjul, gave birth to a baby girl at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital in Banjul, at around 8pm, last Sunday, March 22. She is said to be among the first batch of women who underwent treatment under President Jammeh’s infertility treatment programme. As a demonstration of appreciation for the president’s humanitarian gesture, the joyful family, through a rather proud and happy father, Ma Ansu Kassama, husband of Mariama Conteh, wrote a letter to the Gambian leader which was aired on GRTS.

His letter reads:
Your Excellency, after going through your infertility treatment, I am so pleased to inform you that my wife, named Mariama Conteh, living at No 2B Louvell Square, gave birth to a baby girl on the 22nd March 2009 at 7:52 pm at the RVTH.

I the husband, Ma-Ansu Kassama, has been married with Mariama for 22 years without a child. We have wasted lot of money to the marabouts, but with no positive result. Thank God, when you treated her, the result  became  positive.

Sir, my entire family and the family of my wife are so pleased about the great gift from God through your treatment. We therefore thank you, and may God give you and your family long life, happiness and prosperity.

We therefore say, sir, that the baby belongs to you and your cabinet. Meanwhile, the Daily Observer visited the joyful family at their home in Banjul, where they showered praises on the Gambian leader "for always being at the forefront of salvaging the human race from the scourge of diseases and other difficulties." A visibly elated and grateful Mariam Conteh expressed gratitude to President Jammeh, describing her feelings before this development as "terrible." "During my 22 years of barrenness, life to me looked different. I was very much confused and frustrated for my incapacity to produce a child for my husband.

We spent lot of money at the marabous’, all in search of getting a child in our marriage,’’ narrated the 40-year-old woman, who also revealed to the Daily Observer that she first had a child 22 years ago, but that did not survive. "Up to the time of my delivery, I couldn’t believe myself that I was expecting a child. And when I delivered, I praised the Almighty Allah for putting an end to my distress through President Jammeh’s treatment,’’ she said.

Sharing her experience in barrenness, Madam Conteh noted that being unable to produce a child is not good for a woman. She stressed that the situation can force one to lose faith in God if one lacks boldness. "It is a threat to one’s precious marriage as it makes the whole thing totally discomforting," Mariama posited.

Commending President Jammeh for his concern to humanity, she used the opportunity to appeal to him to continue assisting vulnerable women who are experiencing barrenness. In the same vein, she urged other women with problems of infertility not to hesitate to help themselves with the president’s treatment.