By Oumie Bojang
Harriet King, the British High Commissioner to The Gambia has on Friday visited the Riders for Health office in Kanifing south.
The visit was for the British High Commissioner to tour the facility, understand the vision and mission of the organisation and discuss ways to further enable and enhance the work Riders for Health has been doing over the years.
Speaking to The Standard, HC Harriet said they talked about how the British High Commission wants to focus on health and the particular interest they have in women and girls. “I am very passionate about health being a fundamental part of any developing country, health and education are vital for me. The health system here is not as good as it needs to be, there are so many people who don’t have access to the health care they need and Riders for Health is working towards providing that access, so we talked about ways in which the British High Commission could potentially support.”
She added that they will have to discuss their objectives for the next financial year as a Commission, but she will support any way she can on women and girls affairs, and help bring together partners to connect Riders for Health with.
“I can help with social media to provide more visibility and promote the organisation and work they are doing, and if there are potentially any difficult things that need unlocking with the Ministry and high level officials I can help.”
Zoe Herron Coleman, daughter of founders of Riders for Health, who works as head of communication for two Wheels for Life a sister organisation to Riders for Health in the UK, said working with the Ministry of Health they were able to provide transport to enable the Ministry reach every corner of the country to provide regular health care service. “Recently we went to Basse to see one of the ambulances we provided, which gets people living in very remote communities with no transport to health centers when they need them. It was an eye opening experience seeing the level of gratitude of the people living in those communities and how grateful they were to the ambulance driver who comes out at 2am in the morning, in the rain, the sun, the heat in any condition to take a patient to healthcare facilities. That was a genuine life saving service that is making a big difference.”
Kenbugul Dicko, administrative manager expressed delight over the Commissioner’s visit to their organisation, because Riders for Health Gambia started through a British registered NGO Riders for Health UK. “The British High Commissioner being a representative of the British government in The Gambia having interest in the work we do in the country and coming to visit is a big morale booster for us.”
