The Africa Beauty Modelling Agency (ABMA), Thursday donated maternity items to the Maternity Ward of Brikama Health Centre, at a presentation ceremony held at the hospital grounds in Brikama, Western Region.

Miss Amie Khan, 2007 Miss Africa runner-up presented the items on behalf of Africa Beauty Modelling Agency. The donated items included, curtains, towels among others.

Established in 2004, Africa Beauty Modelling Agency was set up to trained young models to become professional in their respective field.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ramou Cole-Ceesay, head of the National Reproductive and Child Programme at Department of State for Health, thanked Amie Khan for the devotion. "This gifts is not the end but a beginning process. We are mainly providing services to pregnant women and infants welfare health services among other things.

However, The Gambia is among other nations who are charged to attained the Millennium Development Goals, thus, reducing maternity by 75% by 2015," she said.

She then observed that attainment of the MDG objectives calls for joint collaboration from the private sector as government cannot do it alone.

Mrs Charmaine Kuti George, manager of Africa Beauty Modelling Agency said, health is an essential aspect in the development of any nation.

According to her, such gestures will be continuous noting that one of her Agency’s main target is to assist health facilities in the country.

Miss Amie Khan, 2007 Miss Africa Beauty Runner-up expressed gratitude to the government of The Gambia through President Jammeh for the support and assured of her continuous contribution to the development of the health sector.

For his part, Abdou FM Badjie, Governor  of the Western Region, thanked the donors for their humanitarian assistance. According to him, Western region is a growing community and Brikama Health Centre is the only centre that caters for the whole community and its surroundings.

He described the items as worthy and timely and assured that it will be used as required.

Dr Tamsir Mbowe, director of Presidential HIV/Aids treatment programme and Director of Medical Services on behalf of the health fraternity, thanked the donors for their benevolent gesture.

According to him, the materials will help to further boost the morale of the health facility, noting that Brikama Health Centre is one of the biggest health facility in Western Region. “We in the health sector also realised that the level of referrals  have been reduced by the existence of this centre," he said.

In another development, two Dutch philanthropists namely, Philip Vriend and Monica Vriend from Netherlands also donated pillows, needles, gloves, new blankets, uniforms, stratoscopes, bandages worth over thousands of dalasis to Brikama Health Centre, at a presentation ceremony held at the hospital grounds.

Other speakers at the ceremony, included  Abie Khan, regional health officer for Western Region.