By Aminata S.Kuyateh
Enhancing conducive early children and toddlers within Kombo north and south districts, Ding Ding Yiriwa Federation with local partner ChildFund-the Gambia recently handed over educational and learning materials worth over D376,000 to 15 schools including two nursery schools within Kombo north and south in West Coast Region.
The handing over ceremony was held at the Federation’s headquarters in Jambanjelly, WCR. The donated materials include 30 sets of furniture, 13 mats, 77 school bags and other items to be distributed among 13 primary and two nursery schools within Kombo north and south.
The main objective of the federation is to ensure children aged 0-5 years are healthy and secured, 6-14 years are educated and 14 years above have quality relevant skills acquisition.
Speaking at the event, federation manager Alieu Mendy, it is a community-based organisation operating within Kombo north and south in affiliation with ChildFund-the Gambia, and also working with needy and vulnerable parents in the two districts.
He disclosed that the federation has ten outlet offices working with parents and their children and has enrolled 3,632 school going children and 2,532 are on sponsorship by the federation.
“Ding Ding Yiriwa Federation is aimed at protecting the children and youths against all forms of abuse”, Mr. Mendy charged.
Childfund rep. Awa Gibba said early children learning is entrenched in the second target of Sustainable Development Goal 4, which seeks to ensure that, by 2030, “all boys and girls have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for the task ahead”.
Madam Gibba added that ensuring access to quality pre-primary education is a key strategy for improving learning and education outcomes as well as the efficiency of education systems. “When children have the opportunity to explore and learn through play, they they develop important life skills that will help them succeed in school and beyond”, she said.
She disclosed that the goal is to share practical ideas on how to embed play and child-centered pedagogy in pre-primary education expansion efforts to ensure the quality and appropriateness of these programmes, these playing learning items will enable children to develop.
She commended Ding Ding Yiriwa Federation for their support to the schools and urged teachers to take good care of the materials and ensure that a conducive teaching and learning environment is created for the children to meet their age-appropriate development outcomes.
Kombo south nursery school chairperson and recipient, Boto Bojang expressed heartfelt appreciation to the federation for their commendable effort and unwavering support towards the educational sector in The Gambia.
He lauded federation for taking the lead in making a substantial contribution, emphasizing that such initiatives are instrumental in realizing the dreams of the school going children.
