AWAAG educates stakeholders on animal welfare

By Yunus S Saliu

Animal Welfare Advocates Association – The Gambia (AWAAG) has called for a social behavioral communication change towards animals as they are creatures that need care, too.

The association on Saturday brought together  stakeholders at the Education Regional Office in Brikama, West Coast Region (WCR) for a two-day capacity-building training attended by over one hundred participants drawn across the regions in the country.

 Dr Mustapha Manneh, Head of Disease Prevention and Control of the Department of Livestock and Services representing the Director General of the Department of Livestock and Services said the training is indeed a timely one, which is also much needed.

He noted that when it comes to animals’ welfare, The Gambia still has a long way to go because “a lot of advocacy programme on animals are going on in the society but still not having enough data that we supposed to have in the Gambia. That is where social-behavioral change communication comes into being.”

Taking this into consideration, he said AWAAG wants to see changes in social behavior in communication when it comes to people’s mindset and behavior towards animals’ welfare. 

He disclosed that there are some places in The Gambia referred to as Animal Welfare Friendly Communities “and it is worthy to recognize them” Among these places are Madina Sancha in Kiang East, Willingaraba in Jarra East, Pakaliba in Jarra East. “We want to have more because our objective is to make the Gambia Animal Welfare Friendly nation,” he emphasised.

Dr Manneh applauded the organizer for involving a large number of stakeholders, especially by inviting the Department of Livestock to talk about animal welfare and activities in the Gambia.

The department, he added, is one of the biggest stakeholders when it comes to animal activities in the country while noting that whenever they are drafting manuals about inspection, the department always makes it a point to incorporate animal welfare in the activities. 

Fatou Drammeh from NaNA, one of the trainers dilated on the importance of animal welfare saying their welfare requires protecting, and preventing them as they are humans, too.

She said NaNA has always been at the forefront of communication when it comes to animal welfare and they are proud to be associated with anything that has something to do with the welfare of animals.

Meanwhile, the animal welfare capacity-building training started on the 11th and ended on the 12th of May 2024.

Muhamed Hazaly Bah, President of Animal Welfare Advocates Association – The Gambia (AWAAG), Dr. Kebba Daffeh, Coordinator for AWAAG, and others delivered speeches at the opening of the two-day training.