By Yaya B. Baldeh
Hear Women –The Gambia Chapter over the weekend wrapped up a two-day training on proper hygiene, sanitation and reproductive health for schools within Central River Region of The Gambia.
The health and sanitation awareness project first phase training was held at Bansang Upper Basic School and attended by both students and parents.
The project dubbed ‘Health and Sanitation Awareness’ intends to improve the health status of children and women by improving their hygiene practices and health seeking behaviours, according to Susan Jatta, chairperson Hear Women –The Gambia.
Madam Jatta said: “The training was really timely and I can attest that the benefits will go a long way in enhancing the health status of the participants. For all the categories that attended have testifies that the training will strengthen their sanitation behaviours; for the fact that, considering schools and homes as wider social institutions.”
She further extolled the management of Bansang Upper Basic School for the warm welcome accorded to them during the training.
“To educate both students and their families on health seeking behaviours is essential. In this way, it would help to minimise causes of certain health complications that could be avoided,” she stated.
According to Susan, number of topics was introduced to participants during the training which includes sex and reproductive health rights. This she adds, they believe will help improve the sexual consciousness of the adolescences.
Mr. Momodou S. Bah, senior teacher, Bansang Upper said: “The training organised by Hear Women Gambia came at a right time. We were empowered with crucial information that would help us meaningfully to live a healthy life.”
“I have learnt a lot on health related things, especially on personal hygiene. Health is very crucial for development to occur. Anyone who contributes to health sector, it means the person is contributing to national development,” the headboy, Bansang Upper, Babou Mbye reflects on the importance of the training.
Mr. Kemo Kanteh, who spoke on behalf of Parent-Teacher Association of Bansang said personal hygiene is an essential area for every human being either for young or elderly. He also thanked the organisers and encouraged them to continue what he described as “great job for humanity”.
Also speaking during a handing over sanitary materials shortly after the training session, official of Hear Women, Ndey Ngerr-Baldeh stated that the materials are meant to help the participants at the training to apply the lessons learnt. She called on the participants to further spread the message to others who weren’t at the session.
