The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday donated two vehicles to the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare and the Forum for African Women Educationalist (FAWEGAM) -The Gambia chapter.

The four-wheel drive Toyota Land Cruiser donated to DoSH was meant for the Child Survival and Development Programme of the DHT in the Upper River Region (URR). According to the donors, the two vehicles cost US$43,000, about D1.2 million.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony held at the Medical and Health Headquarters in Banjul, Anselme Motcho, UNICEF Officer-in-Charge and Operations Manager, said Unicef’s mandate is about children.

He revealed that children have a right to basic health and education and that any support that can be provided to enhance the attainment of such rights is highly welcome by Unicef.

He said one of the two focus areas of UNICEF New Country Programme 2007-2011 is in the URR, adding that they have also noted the problem of mobility in the URR and would carry out effective supervision and monitoring of health interventions.

Similarly, the mobility concerns of FAWEGAM in effectively monitoring the activities of mother clubs and other girls’ education intervention in rural areas have been taken into consideration, the Unicef official said.

He therefore advised the beneficiaries to use and handle the vehicles properly.

Receiving the vehicles, Alhagie Omar Taal, Deputy Permanent Secretary of DoSH, and Jadicon Njie-Eribo, Coordinator of FAWEGAM, both thanked Unicef for the gesture and promised that the vehicles will be put into good use