By Olimatou Coker
The Global Hands Manduar Development hub in partnership with the Village Girl Initiative, over the weekend conducted free medical examinations for the people of Manduar and its surrounding villages.
The initiative was a community led driven program, and provided medical tests for diabetes, pregnancy and others.
VGI treasurer Sukai Kah, said the organisation, founded by UK-based Gambian Aisha Saidy, aims to “provide basic health care to the less privilege.
“That’s why,” she said, “we go into communities and villages to offer these kind of services to the people.”
She highlighted how the initiative would complement government’s efforts in delivering health care services to the citizenry.
“So in that light, we decided to come up with this initiative called ‘The Village Girl’ to help young girls, and treat and prevent some preventable diseases including non-communicable diseases.”
Organisers disclosed that at least 7 doctors and fifteen nurses, including volunteers, took part in the initiative.
“We were able treat over two hundred people with different illnesses and ailments,” treasurer Kah stated.
She contributed that it was made possible with help of students visiting from Manchester Metropolitan University, who were on a field trip to The Gambia, and funded part of the free wellness pop-up for the community.
“Our target is to cover the whole country,” she added.
Professor Momodou Sallah a lecture from De Montfort University Leicester (UK) and chair of the board of directors of GH, said GH is a registered charitable organisation in The Gambia that also has a social enterprise in the UK.
“What we do is we get into international development in terms of projects likes this. We get into education and public engagement, conferences and seminars in ways in which we can provoke people’s consciousness to change the way they see the world.”
Volunteer and nurse Abdoulie Gassama, and Nyara Gassama, a beneficiary, thanked thanked the bringers of the initiative.
