Back and Next - Back and NextVP receives West Cornwall Link, others
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
In a flurry of activities, yesterday, at State House, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, the vice president and secretary of state for Women’s Affairs, received in audience 4 separate groups of people.
The first to arrive at State House were members of the West Cornwall Link, led by Reverend Norman Grigg, chairman of the Methodist Church in The Gambia.
As the head of the delegation, Rev Grigg, told the vice president that their mission to State House was to pay respect to the Gambian leader, Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh and the vice president herself.
He said they were at State House to thank them for the cooperation and assistance they and the Gambia government have been giving to the Methodist Church in different areas of development, particularly in education, health and agriculture. Rev Grigg used the opportunity to renew their loyalty and support to the government. He expressed their commitment to work with government. He disclosed that the Methodist Church will become autonomous in May 2009 and that they will always be available to work with the government for development.
According to Rev. Grigg, the West Cornwall Link under the leadership of Elaine Horner and Company, have been coming to The Gambia for over 20 years and have donated items amounting to 4 million dalasis to Methodist schools in The Gambia during this period. He revealed that the link has also sponsored hundreds of children in schools and colleges in The Gambia.
“The Link has also sponsored building programmes, including a nursery school in Banni, Central River Region, a learning centre in Janjangbureh and, just recently, a clinic worth over D1,000,000 in Jamali in Sami District, Central River Region,” Rev. Grigg remarked. For her part, Elaine Horner, leader of the West Cornwall Link, expressed delight at their meeting with The Gambia’s vice president. According to her, the link represents many people back home. She described Gambians as friendly and kind people and promised to come back to The Gambia every year.
In response, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, on behalf of President Jammeh, the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare (DoSHSW) and the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education (DoSBSE), welcomed the link once again to The Gambia. She assured the donors that President Jammeh values inputs from religious leaders in The Gambia, especially the Methodist Church, which is the oldest mission in The Gambia.
She observed that the Methodist schools offer quality education, and the mission is helping to address poverty, in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). VP Njie-Saidy also highlighted the prominence Professor Jammeh attaches to the agriculture, education and health sectors of The Gambia. She commended the West Cornwall Link for their heavy investment in the education sector over the years.
She then thanked them for their support. Dr Njie Saidy concluded with an appeal for them to consider bringing doctors and nurses to The Gambia in the spirit of volunteerism. Dr Mariatou Jallow, the secretary of state for Health and Social Welfare, said the health sector is a great pride for President Jammeh, whom she said attaches great importance to it.
SoS Jallow described the efforts of the West Cornwall Link as a public/private partnership and assured them that they will maintain standards for sustainability. She underscored the need to train the residents of Jamali to serve their people for sustainability. She further informed the donors that the health personnel will be visiting the clinic at Jamali from time to time. She finally thanked them for their support.
Kunkung Jobarteh, deputy permanent secretary at the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education, expressed gratitude to the donors for their support to the education sector. DPS Jobarteh described the gesture of the donors as timely, and expressed hope that the 2015 education target goals will be met by the country.
Ousman Njie, coordinator of the Jamali clinic project and a native of Jamali, thanked the West Cornwall Link for the support given to the people of the village. He revealed that the clinic serves 25 villages in the area. Njie appealed to the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare to provide them with nurses, and to train the residents of Jamali to serve their people. Next to call on the vice president, were Aja Adu Lette Sey and Aja Amie Jarju Chery of Orbit Travel Agency.
Speaking to journalists shortly after having audience with Vice President Njie-Saidy, Aja Adu Lette Sey said their mission to the vice president’s office was to say “thank you” to the president and the government, through the vice president, after their return from the Hajj. She told journalists that they had also informed the vice president of some of their plans for next year’s Hajj, and of how successful the operations for this year’s Hajj were in terms of getting the pilgrims to go and perform their religious rites.
She assured the general public that Orbit Travel Agency, being a new agency operated by Gambian women, will greatly improve as they look forward to living up to expectations in terms of hajj operations. The Gamtel/Gamcel staff association were the third to have audience with Vice President Njie Saidy, on the same day. Amadou Touray, public relations manager at Gamtel, told journalists that their courtesy call on her was meant to brief her on their plans for this year’s fund-raising programme with the famous Senegalese mbalax star, Youssou Ndour, scheduled for the 13th and 14th of February.
He said they were at State House to seek the blessings of the vice president so as to have government departments, NGOs, parastatals and individuals support their course. Commenting on the proceeds of the annual fund-raising programme, Touray said the proceeds are normally invested in diverse areas. “Last year,” he recounted, “we gave D250,000 to ‘operation save a baby’; D200,000 was given out for women’s empowerment; D100,000 for the cure of HIV/AIDS; 40 mattresses, 60 visitors’ chairs and 10 television sets were given to the RVTH; and so on”. Amadou spoke at length about the series of aid schemes his association has been involved in.
Abdou Jatta, president of the Young People in the Media (YPM), was at the head of his organization as they were ushered in to meet the Gambian vice president. He told reporters that their mission to State House was to brief the vice president on their activities for the past two years, since the launch of YPM. He recalled that vice president Njie-Saidy had personally launched the organization.
According to Abdou Jatta, his group will host its 4th annual child friendly award ceremony, on Saturday, at the Paradise Suites Hotel, in Kololi. Last but not least, Mariama Jabbie, a young Gambian girl from Kerr Serign, was also received by the vice-president. According to Jabbie, her mission to the vice president was to brief her on her plans to create a “teenager’s reality show.” She explained that this programme will focus on the problems faced by teenagers.
The first to arrive at State House were members of the West Cornwall Link, led by Reverend Norman Grigg, chairman of the Methodist Church in The Gambia.
As the head of the delegation, Rev Grigg, told the vice president that their mission to State House was to pay respect to the Gambian leader, Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh and the vice president herself.
He said they were at State House to thank them for the cooperation and assistance they and the Gambia government have been giving to the Methodist Church in different areas of development, particularly in education, health and agriculture. Rev Grigg used the opportunity to renew their loyalty and support to the government. He expressed their commitment to work with government. He disclosed that the Methodist Church will become autonomous in May 2009 and that they will always be available to work with the government for development.
According to Rev. Grigg, the West Cornwall Link under the leadership of Elaine Horner and Company, have been coming to The Gambia for over 20 years and have donated items amounting to 4 million dalasis to Methodist schools in The Gambia during this period. He revealed that the link has also sponsored hundreds of children in schools and colleges in The Gambia.
“The Link has also sponsored building programmes, including a nursery school in Banni, Central River Region, a learning centre in Janjangbureh and, just recently, a clinic worth over D1,000,000 in Jamali in Sami District, Central River Region,” Rev. Grigg remarked. For her part, Elaine Horner, leader of the West Cornwall Link, expressed delight at their meeting with The Gambia’s vice president. According to her, the link represents many people back home. She described Gambians as friendly and kind people and promised to come back to The Gambia every year.
In response, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, on behalf of President Jammeh, the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare (DoSHSW) and the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education (DoSBSE), welcomed the link once again to The Gambia. She assured the donors that President Jammeh values inputs from religious leaders in The Gambia, especially the Methodist Church, which is the oldest mission in The Gambia.
She observed that the Methodist schools offer quality education, and the mission is helping to address poverty, in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). VP Njie-Saidy also highlighted the prominence Professor Jammeh attaches to the agriculture, education and health sectors of The Gambia. She commended the West Cornwall Link for their heavy investment in the education sector over the years.
She then thanked them for their support. Dr Njie Saidy concluded with an appeal for them to consider bringing doctors and nurses to The Gambia in the spirit of volunteerism. Dr Mariatou Jallow, the secretary of state for Health and Social Welfare, said the health sector is a great pride for President Jammeh, whom she said attaches great importance to it.
SoS Jallow described the efforts of the West Cornwall Link as a public/private partnership and assured them that they will maintain standards for sustainability. She underscored the need to train the residents of Jamali to serve their people for sustainability. She further informed the donors that the health personnel will be visiting the clinic at Jamali from time to time. She finally thanked them for their support.
Kunkung Jobarteh, deputy permanent secretary at the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education, expressed gratitude to the donors for their support to the education sector. DPS Jobarteh described the gesture of the donors as timely, and expressed hope that the 2015 education target goals will be met by the country.
Ousman Njie, coordinator of the Jamali clinic project and a native of Jamali, thanked the West Cornwall Link for the support given to the people of the village. He revealed that the clinic serves 25 villages in the area. Njie appealed to the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare to provide them with nurses, and to train the residents of Jamali to serve their people. Next to call on the vice president, were Aja Adu Lette Sey and Aja Amie Jarju Chery of Orbit Travel Agency.
Speaking to journalists shortly after having audience with Vice President Njie-Saidy, Aja Adu Lette Sey said their mission to the vice president’s office was to say “thank you” to the president and the government, through the vice president, after their return from the Hajj. She told journalists that they had also informed the vice president of some of their plans for next year’s Hajj, and of how successful the operations for this year’s Hajj were in terms of getting the pilgrims to go and perform their religious rites.
She assured the general public that Orbit Travel Agency, being a new agency operated by Gambian women, will greatly improve as they look forward to living up to expectations in terms of hajj operations. The Gamtel/Gamcel staff association were the third to have audience with Vice President Njie Saidy, on the same day. Amadou Touray, public relations manager at Gamtel, told journalists that their courtesy call on her was meant to brief her on their plans for this year’s fund-raising programme with the famous Senegalese mbalax star, Youssou Ndour, scheduled for the 13th and 14th of February.
He said they were at State House to seek the blessings of the vice president so as to have government departments, NGOs, parastatals and individuals support their course. Commenting on the proceeds of the annual fund-raising programme, Touray said the proceeds are normally invested in diverse areas. “Last year,” he recounted, “we gave D250,000 to ‘operation save a baby’; D200,000 was given out for women’s empowerment; D100,000 for the cure of HIV/AIDS; 40 mattresses, 60 visitors’ chairs and 10 television sets were given to the RVTH; and so on”. Amadou spoke at length about the series of aid schemes his association has been involved in.
Abdou Jatta, president of the Young People in the Media (YPM), was at the head of his organization as they were ushered in to meet the Gambian vice president. He told reporters that their mission to State House was to brief the vice president on their activities for the past two years, since the launch of YPM. He recalled that vice president Njie-Saidy had personally launched the organization.
According to Abdou Jatta, his group will host its 4th annual child friendly award ceremony, on Saturday, at the Paradise Suites Hotel, in Kololi. Last but not least, Mariama Jabbie, a young Gambian girl from Kerr Serign, was also received by the vice-president. According to Jabbie, her mission to the vice president was to brief her on her plans to create a “teenager’s reality show.” She explained that this programme will focus on the problems faced by teenagers.
Author: by Assan Sallah
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