By Amadou Jadama
The executive director of Njawara Agricultural Training Centre in Lower Baddibu, North Bank Region, has appealed to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at throughAmir Baba F Trawally to rehabilitate the health centre it built in Njawara decades ago to ease the burden on the communities.
Mama Manneh made this call as the Jama’at presented another magnificent donation to last year’s windstorm victims whose homes perished and properties lost as well as those whose relatives died in the disaster.
Mr Manneh further stated that Njawara is very important in the history of the Ahmadiyya mission in the Gambia, being the first settlement for the Jama’at before they migrated to the urban area. He said the mission was providing services to the entire communities of North Bank notably in health care.
“I am appealing to the Amir to sit with his entire management to see how best they can rehabilitate the health centre and all other structures built by the Jama’at within the community, so that they can restore to their former status which will be of great benefit to the people here,” Mr Manneh said.
He revealed that the Jama’at also trained some people with skills in the community during their stay in Njawara, among them, two women who are now taking care of patients from far and wide.
“So, I thought it is very fitting you consider rehabilitating their health centre to complement the government’s efforts and reduce t pressure on the community’s health centre,” he said.
The Chief of Lower Baddibu, Fabala Kinteh acknowledged the contribution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in enhancing the lives of people especially the less fortunate in the society.
Foday Gassama, regional president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in North Bank Region, pointed out that Ahmadiyya stands to revive the work of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, which is to help humanity.
“We see no boundary in executing that function whether the victims are Christian, Bahai, Muslim or whatever. We executed it without any discrimination. The main purpose of religion is to worship our creator Allah the Almighty. Religion changes one’s behaviour,” he said.
Me Gassama later extended the message of the worldwide Supreme Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Mirza Masroor Ahmad through the Amir, who prayed for the victims and advised them to be steadfast in these difficult times.
Also speaking at the ceremony, the 98-year-old alkalo of the village, Aji Haddy Panneh, expressed gratitude to the Jama’at for assisting during these trying times.
“The windstorm last year was so terrible. It has caused a serious injury to my leg which I am still treating.” She finally thanked the Amir Trawally, and the Jama’at on behalf of her village for the kind gesture.
Lamin Saidy, the NDMA coordinator in North Bank, disclosed that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at are reliable partners who made many interventions in times of disasters.
In receiving the items, Marie Jones, who lost her six-year-old cousin in the incident, applauded the Jama’at for the donation and appealed for more as many are still homeless.
In total, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at through Amir Baba F Trawally, provided the community basic food items like rice, oil and onions and also second-hand clothing worth over one hundred thousand dalasi (100,000). Some ten families each received a bag of rice, ten litters of cooking oil and half bag of onion. Two families who lost their loved ones each received two bags of rice, a bag of onion and ten litres of cooking oil.
