By Sulayman Waan
Gambia Committee on Harmful Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Girl- Child (GAMCOTRAP) commenced three -day’s sensitization to intensify adolescent’s awareness on harmful traditional practices, Sexual and Reproductive Health among Adolescents.; held at Sandy Kunda, Bagadagi and Gambisara villages in Jimara district, Upper River Region on July 27-29.
The days day sensitization is funded by The Kingdom of Netherland through it Embassy in Dakar, Senegal and it is aims to enlighten the adolescents on harmful traditional practices (FGM, Early\Forced Marriages), Sexual and Reproductive Health, Sexual Transmitted Infection (STI), Child Rights among others.
In his opening remark, Musa Jallow overseer of GAMCOTRAP director office said the forum is gear toward sensitizing the adolescents on harmful traditional practices, sexual reproductive health, STI, Child rights among other related issues to ensure their (adolescents) wellbeing as well protect the future generation.
“This project is specifically for the youth because you (youth) are the future leaders. Therefore, if you are sensitized on these issues it would be beneficial to the country,” he said.
Mr. Jallow described the project as instrumental, saying it would enable the participants to share ideas with facilitators regarding issues affecting adolescents’ welfare and come with measures that would help both parties to attain the sustainable development goal.
“Many are saying we (GAMCOTRAP) are fighting traditional practices in the society but we are only fighting the harmful traditional practices affecting the health of adolescents and women as well preserve the positive practices,” he said.
He urged the participants to utilize the opportunity of attending the forum to acquire the required knowledge while appealed them to disseminate the information to their respective communities to ensure wider spread of the delivered messages.
He commended the Kingdom of the Netherlands for funding the project, saying the Netherlands contribution on adolescents’ awareness raising on the aforementioned subjects is recognized, appreciated and timely which will go a long way in protecting and promoting the wellbeing of the children.
Fatou Bojang, GAMCOTRAP field coordinator said the harmful traditional practices affecting the welfare of the masses particularly adolescents are changeable and avoidable.
“When a medical doctors gives advices to avoid consuming certain diets, the advices will always be adhered to because it’s taken seriously to save our lives; therefore, if medically advice that the practices are harmful to our health, then we should stop the practices to protect our adolescent from such,” she said.
She appealed to the adolescents to unanimously work with their various community members to support the organization in the crusade so as to eradicate harmful traditional practices in the society.
On his presentation, Ebrima Njie, staff of GAMCOTRAP said FGM have health effects to girl- child citing infection that is cause by unhygienic condition and applications of local treatment to circumcise girls, austere pain, severe bleeding due to cutting across the dorsal artery of the clitoris, urinary retention among other health complications.
He called on the participants to avoid all practices that could be detrimental to their health saying the youth are the drivers of national development in every given nation and if they are not healthy development would be a nightmare.
Alh. Kanimang Sanneh, chief of Jimara district commended GAMCOTRAP and their donors for their intervention in his district for the awareness raising on harmful traditional practices, sexual and reproductive health among adolescents.