By Olimatou Coker
Foroyaa Workers’ Association, FoWA, has held its second annual general meeting at its offices in Churchill’s Town.
Speaking, Samuel Osseh Sarr, Managing Director of Foroyaa Newspaper, urged his reporters to be committed because all what this field needs is commitment.
He assured members that Foroyaa will work towards fulfilling its promise of giving financial assistance to the association.
Muhammeh S Bah, president of the Gambia Press Union, said: “I believe other media houses should learn from Foroyaa when it comes to unionism and advocating for their rights”.
Mr Bah urged other media houses to emulate Foroyaa in forming such associations for the well-being of its staff and to speak with one voice.
Yankuba Jallow, secretary general of the association, said the idea of creating FoWA was to have a common platform for employees to discuss issues affecting them in terms of their welfare as well as support one another in both good and bad times.
“FoWA, in 2018, held an elective congress and voted in their first substantive executive tasked with the responsibility of reviving the Association and ensuring that the objectives for which it aims to achieve are attained. The 2014 draft constitution was reviewed and discussed at Congress level where it was adopted. 2021 was our first year in our second term as executive members. We did fund-raising with a view to strengthening the financial potency of the Association. As you know, the Association is self-funded by the members”.
According to S.G Jallow, FoWA did not execute many programmes in 2021.
He said the ad hoc committees of FoWA have been active and doing their function as expected of them. ”We pushed the Congress Resolutions to management and thankfully to their commitment, we were able attain them,” he said.
He added that the biggest achievement which each of them should be proud of should be the unity they have shown all the time. He said the participation of the general membership in FoWA activities is overwhelming.
He also said this year, they will work with the Social Committee to do fundraising. “It will be an incorporated approach and they would strive to do some fundraising activities.
“What we intend to do this time around is to send proposals to organize training on parliamentary reporting. The proposal is ready and will be shared with you for your view. To seek funding for training on radio production. The writing of the proposal is at advanced stage and hopefully it will be shared with you before the end of the week and to start disbursing the social fund forthwith,” he explained.
He said Foroyaa is an exemplary media house in the country. “We wish to thank the management of Foroyaa for their leadership and support to the Association at all times,” he added.
He said they should all strive to maintain the unity “because our motto is united we excel. Therefore, we cannot afford the luxury of division. Our unity is our strength. We have a cooperative membership and this is worth mentioning”.
Amie Sanneh, Chairperson of the Association, mentioned that AGM is an important event in the association’s calendar as it helps them take stock of their achievements, challenges and the way forward for the association.
She said FoWA has been in existence for 7 years now. It started as a small association but the commitment of the members led them to where they are today.
“As part of our major activities, we give support to our members through loans to enable them address some of their problems. This I believe is not happening in any media house and I want them to learn from us”.
