The Gambia Red Cross Society (GRCS) in its fulfilment to community health care services recently concluded a week long steeping stone sensitisation training for refugees from the trouble Senegalese region of cassamance.

The training was conducted at Somita Agricultural Centre, in the Foni Bintang District. The sensitisation program was centered on improving sexual and reproductive health through participatory approach, where participants brought their own experiences thereby producing tangible solutions.

The package, according to officials was one of the few behavioural change programmes that seek to address the objectives of International Cairo Plan for Population and Development for the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), including HIV and domestic violence by empowering women and involving men.

This, according to information gathered by the Daily Observer was to focus on the root causes of most of the reproductive health problems in communities. Such approach was said to havebeen chosen because infertility is of  great concern to the communities. In her statement, Fatou Gaye, HIV/AIDS coordinator of the Gambia Red Cross Society said as part of the national society health care services, the Gambia Red Cross is mandated to sensitise communities on health related issues that are affecting them.

She added that among the activities carried out under her office included the mobilisation of communities in the prevention of STIs of all kinds, through a participatory process of reflection and action. Auxiliary to the public authority, she went on, the Gambia Red Cross and the Department of State for Health had undertaken several out reach campaigns across the country, with the aim of health enlightenment within communities. Mrs Gaye further noted that as consortium member of the steeping stone, the GRCS national society has implemented series of sensitisation since 2003.

Lamin Fatty, Western Region Red Cross branch manager expounded on the ignorance of the training. He urged participants to effectively participate during the training so that they can better understand what they have learnt and can adequately transmit the information gained to others.