DEVELOPMENT AREA AND HOTEL WORKERS
The Gambias Venner a non- profit organization in Denmark donates 104 bags of 50 kilos Rice through her sister organization in The Gambia, Danish Gambian Friendship Society.
The beneficiaries of the Relief Package were Women Fruits and Nuts vendors in the Tourism Development Area and hotel workers affected by the closure of hotels due to COVID-19 pandemic.
One Hundred and Four (104) vulnerable families of the target group (Women Fruits and Nuts vendors & Hotel workers) benefited from the package.. The event was organized by the executive members of the Gambian chapter and hosted at the Society container depot in Kanifing on May 2nd 2020. In attendance were representative from the Association of Small Scale Enterprise on Tourism and the target group members.
In his introductory remarks, Mr. Kanimang Camara, interim Vice Chairman of the Gambian chapter mentioned that in order to identify individuals, the Executive of the Gambian Chapter engaged the Association of Small Scale Enterprise in Tourism (ASSET) represented by Ebrima Ceesay Administrator and the National President of Women vendors Mrs.
Ndey Kebbeh to obtain names of potential beneficiaries for the support. Management of some hotels located along Fajara and Kotu beaches were also contacted in order to obtain names of the most affected redundant staff that are eligible to benefit from the relief package. He thanked them for their cooperation and collaboration.
In delivering his welcome remarks Mr. Ousman Dampha, Administrator of the Gambian chapter provided an overview of the interventions supported in The Gambia by the sister Society in Denmark, which includes support to education through provision of relief aid, sponsorships to needy students in the Sintet and the satellite villages, provision of medical equipments to hospitals and health centers nation-wide as well in the agriculture sector.
The chairman of the Gambian chapter, Prof. Dr. Lamin Sidibeh expressed his sincere gratitude and applauded the sister society in Denmark for thinking about the Gambia in these difficult and trying times. Prof. Dr. Sidibeh reminded the gathering about the rationale and the objectives in establishing Danish Gambian Friendship Society in the early 1975 when he was a student in Denmark.
He revealed that being one of the founder members of the Society it was him and the Danish partners who collectively conceived the idea and established the Society.
He continued after 45 years here we are today witnessing this philanthropic gesture in fulfilling the mandate and the rationale of establishing the Society.
He congratulated the Danish for their efforts in sustaining the Society up to date. In concluding his statement, Prof. Dr. Sidibeh informed the gathering about steps being taken to revive the Gambian chapter.
The National President of the Women vendors Mrs. Ndey Kebbeh, praised the initiative and the timeliness of the support. She lamented the impact of the closure of hotels and tourism activities on their livelihoods. She said “COVID-19 we don’t know you, please go back to your roots such that we could reunite with our friends from Denmark soon”.
Three other female beneficiaries gave vote of thanks in local languages and they all expressed similar sentiments and appreciation to the Danish Gambian Friendship Society for providing the support.