By Yunus S Saliu
As usual, on Tuesday, 24th December 2024, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC), with its cultural institution, the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), dispensed the sum of D405,000.00 to seventeen community festival organizers for preparing for their annual festival.
The presentation of cheques to the groups was held at the Ministry and presided over by the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Honourable Abdoullahi Jobe.
The activity is part of the annual support from the MOTAC through NCAC for all festival organizers and their various groups as the celebration starts.
The money dispensed this year was almost the same amount given last year. It marked the fifth time the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture with the National Centre for Arts and Culture supporting the Gambia cultural festival organizers since the present government came into existence. In 2018, it was D200,000, in 2019 D300,000, in 2021 D350,000, D410,000.00 disbursed in 2023, and D405,000.00 this year.
Shortly before the handover of cheques to them by Honourable Abdoullahi Jobe, Codu L. Jabang Senghore, the Permanent Secretary at the MOTAC expressed great pleasure to share the memorable session with all the organizers and groups saying “We as a Ministry, take the opportunity, under the leadership of the Honourable Minister to contribute our little financial support as a government to the celebration of the festivals across the country.”
She noted that support for the festival started a few years back under the administration of President Adama Barrow who felt the need for the MOTAC to give attention to culture as a sector. “And it was during this time that tourism and culture became a priority sector for the government, and this was reflected in all our national development, objectives as well as blueprints that we have developed from 2017 to date.”
The PS disclosed that the Ministry also has the opportunity to double the support from the government in terms of subventions to the National Centre for Arts and Culture from 2017 to date, “so we are very positive of initiatives that we as a government, under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, have registered from 2017 to date.”
She underscored the needed technical support that the NCAC would be giving throughout this period in these festivals and to all the community festival organizers.
Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of the NCAC highlighted some of the activities carried out by the centre which included training for most of the event planners and community festival organizers.
DG Ceesay expressed their appreciation in writing to the NCAC to seek support thus “some don’t do it for any reasons best known to them. So if you have taken the trouble and the effort to write, this is highly appreciated.”
Beneficiary festivals from this support include BMS Marching Band, Sunu Festival, Kwinella Sansankono Cultural Festival, Wuli Barrow Kunda, Sutukoba Kankiling Cultural Festival, Kayong Kalon Association, Dembadou Carnival Cultural Festival, Futampaf Cultural Festival, BainunkaInternational Festival, Janjanbureh Kankurang and Masquerade Festival, Kassack Festival, Kiang All ManduarFestival, Kunta Kinteh Jufureh Festival, Gamcultural Carnival Senegambia, Kiang Genieri Cultural Festival, PenyemHomecoming Cultural Festival, and Galloya Festival.