Future In Our Hand, FLOH are intensifying communities outreach program on Women and Youth Forum to create more public awareness on effect and impact of irregular migration, FGM, Teenage pregnancy, gender based violence, early marriage, HIV/AIDS, and education.
The sensitizations aimed to empowered communities to create and strengthen public dialogue to strongly advocate.
Halimatou Marong and Omar Cham Program Officers of FIOH has spoken of the significant of supporting women and youths at grassroots levels to enable them to effectively participate in curbing irregular migration to allow young people to make best us of the opportunity provided.
The duo commended the communities for their commitment in working with NGOs and Institutions in advancing women empowerment drive to seek for political positions.
The community meetings provided an opportunity for women to share some of their challenges, citing inadequate water supply hit the community of Maria for domestic and animal consumption.
Modou Jagne Regional Women Bureau Programme Officer for NBR uses the moment to popularize the content of women act, domestic violence act and other gender instrument.
He noted that government attaches great important in empowering women to take up decision making positions in society to bring about positive behavior changes in improving lives and livelihood development. Commenting on force and early marriages, he reminds women to champion zero campaign to end heinous violation of human rights.
The communities thanked FIOH for providing them the platform to discuss about their developmental challenges, with development partners to help them find a solution.
The women and youths forum enable FIOH to be fully aware of numerous workload on women, citing women in the community of Maria spent long hours in fetching water, low income of families affected the education at grassroots level, simply inability to provide uniform, books and daily money for lunch. Whilst in Samba Chargie the people expressed long distance travelled by student attending afternoon class in Bantanding Wollof and as a result it affect the performance of student.
Almost all the eight communities visited, women have disclosed that of labor saving devices and early marriage remain greatest challenges.
The eight days community outreach were held in eight Kerr Katim Wollof, Maria in Central Baddibou, Kerr Ardo in Lower Baddibou, Torotayim, Samba Chargie, Kaba Koto, Jamunding and Daru matarr in Jokadou, in the north bank region.
Author: Haruna Kuyateh