By Amadou Jadama
The executive members of the newly established organisation called Brikama Social Development Association on Saturday briefed journalists on its formation and their nascent achievements.
Secretary General Ousman Kebbeh said BSDA was formed in June to connect all sons and daughters of Brikama both at home and abroad to channel their resources, knowledge, and goodwill into meaningful social development interventions in the Kombo Central town.
He said the association has been established “to promote community-led development initiatives that improve social services and quality of life for residents of Brikama, support access to affordable and reliable health care services through the construction and management of a community health centre, provide dignified and affordable funeral services through the acquisition and management of a community funeral van, mobilize collective resources at home and abroad in support of social development projects as well as to strengthen social solidarity among all members of the Brikama community, including those in diaspora”.
Briefing the press at the Governor’s Office in Brikama on Saturday, Kebbeh said the formation of BSDA began as a collective response to the growing need for a coordinated platform to address the social development concerns facing the community.
He said Brikama is a town rich in culture, history, and human potential, yet many families continue to face challenges in areas such as access to affordable health care and dignified funeral services, among other things
He explained that it was through several meetings, consultations with key stakeholders including elders, youths and other professionals from Brikama that the idea of establishing one unified association was conceived.
“In pursuit of our objectives, the association has developed a number of strategic initiatives that are already in progress. We recognise that the cost and logistics around funerals place a heavy financial burden on grieving families. The association is therefore working towards acquiring a dedicated funeral van to serve the community at an affordable rate. Work has already started to mobilise funds to purchase a funeral van for the community. One of our major flagship projects is the establishment of a Community Health Centre within Brikama. I am pleased to announce that the Association has successfully secured a piece of land allocated by the Council of Elders of Brikama (Bulungda) for this purpose.
“Our vision is to provide accessible, preventive, and curative health services to residents, especially vulnerable groups such as children, women, and the elderly. The association will soon launch a Go-Fund-Me fundraising initiative, as part of public fundraising campaigns to support these development goals,
Mr Kebbeh further postulated that the association will work with the partners, particularly, the central government.
He disclosed that the association will start operating in Brikama, but in future, they will extend their operations to satellite villages like Kitty, Kassa Kunda, Manduar and others.
He further urged the members of the community to maintain unity, patience, and sought the active participation of all sons and daughters of Brikama to make BSDA a success.
