December to Remember-a Pan African initiative has launched four-day national aid campaign for orphans at the orphanages in The Gambia.
The campaign is expected to commence on 19th to 22nd of December 2018,- being first campaign of its kind to be taken by the initiative in the country.
Its chief goal is to seek funding in the form of donation in cash, food items, clothes, shoes, learning materials, and skill training to help upgrade the living standards of orphans in the country.
So far, the initiative is established in six African countries, Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Uganda.
in addition it aims at working with companies, foundations, youth groups, organizations- both local and international.
Mr.Tijan Bah, the country coordinator said that the campaign will only focused on the Greater Banjul area in this month, and will be expanded to the other parts of the country next year.
“We don’t have the resources and personnel to take it to the other parts of the country, so we are basing it on some of the orphanages within the Kombo area here. Probably next year we will move to other parts of the country,” he told The Voice in an exclusive interview.
Mr. Bah said the distribution of the gathered materials by the initiative to the orphanages will be determined to the number of orphans in the orphanages.
He urged Gambians to be committed in helping orphans in the country, adding that most of the help comes from the west and Middle East countries.
“It is incumbent upon us Gambians to help these people because they are also part of our society. Also if you look at them, most of them are disadvantaged”, adding that the idea behind #Decem2Rem is to put smile on the faces of orphans in the country, he said
Two hundred young Gambians have already consent to volunteer for the initiative, but target is three hundred people before the end of the year, he concluded.
Furthermore reports have shown that about 52 million orphans live in Africa.
Author: Adama Makasuba