In what could be seen as a landmark in the sphere of human rights awareness campaign and a giant leap in the realm of multiple approaches to education delivery, the Office of the Ombudsman, on Friday, October 26, signed a memorandum of understanding with SOS Children’s Villages The Gambia Trust.

Mr Junaidi Jallow, the acting Ombudsman signed on behalf of his office, witnessed by Isatou Alwar Graham, the director of National Human Rights Unit / Legal Officer at the Office of the Ombudsman; while Mr Josept Kittl, regional director, SOS - KDI Regional Office North/West, signed on behalf of his organisation, witnessed by Dr Julieta P.G Mendes, regional education advisor of SOS-KDI North/West Africa.

This agreement formalises SOS The Gambia’s drives to become an implementing partner in one of the Office of the Ombudsman’s much vaunted initiatives, through its National Human Rights Units, namely, establishment of human rights clubs in all senior secondary school.

The event which took place at SOS - KDI Regional Office, North West Africa Village Bakoteh, was attended by Deputy Speaker Hon Abdoulie Bojang, Regional School Inspector Haddy N Njie, members of the National Assembly Select Committee on the Ombudsman and members of Children and Women Affairs.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, acting Ombudsman Junaidi GO Jallow briefed the dignitaries on the activities of his office, saying that the office received 900 complaints, 85% of which had been successfully concluded, since its inception in 2000.

Mr Jallow expressed his gratitude to SOS - Children’s Village The Gambia Trust, whose intervention he said was timely. He noted that it could not have come at a better time, since the project had already been launched, as well as resources and partnership are crucial to its successful implementation.

Human rights education, he noted, is an important element of development. He said children should be made to know their rights in order to know their responsibilities and behave in line with society’s expectations.

He maintained that the education of children should take a holistic approach in which families should play a pivotal role.

Mr Jallow revealed that the Department of State for Education had also expressed interest in working with the Office of the Ombudsman in the areas of human rights education.

He thanked staff of the Office of the Ombudsman for their dedication to duty without which the office would not have registered such a success.

For his part, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Hon Abdoulie Bojang said such a project was long over due. Hon Bojang, who was optimistic of the resultant benefits of such a project, postulated that some of the caststrophes that have wrecked havoc on the African continent could have been averted if there had been human rights education in our school systems.

Hon Bojang envisaged that the project could lead to children becoming more law abiding and since government is intent on creating a crime-free society, the National Assembly could only hasten to give it its blessing and reaffirmed its readiness to remain a partner.

The deputy speaker commended the Director of the National Human Rights Unit, Office of the Ombudsman for a job well done.

Josef Kittl, regional director for SOS Kinderdorf International Regional Office North West Africa, said education is one of his areas of intervention and underscored the importance of the collaboration. Mr Kittl expressed happiness with the Office of the Ombudsman in creating human rights clubs in all senior secondary schools in the country.

He said children are the most vulnerable members of society, saying that the quality of children is critical as it can help or hinder their adulthood.

“Although we all know that children are decisive, children are still ignored, manipulated, abused and abandoned. That is all the more reason children welfare is SOS’ vision and mission, and that it has become the government’s priority,” he said.

The occasion was chaired by Ms Oumou Taal, regional administrative secretary/PRO/Partnership of the association of SOS - Children’s Village The Gambia Trust.