By Olimatou Coker
The National Nutrition Agency through its directorate of social and behavioural change communication embarked on comprehensive awareness raising activities in rural communities as part of its Vulnerable Youth and Women Support Project (VYWoSP) funded by AfDB and Gambia government.
The project is being implemented in CRR-North, CRR-South and URR. The communities were sensitised on maternal and child health modules, early health care seeking behaviour, early booking of antenatal service, immunisation and growth monitoring, post natal services and institutional delivery. The project’s implementing partners include the National Social Protection Agency, MoBSE, NEDI, Department of Community Development and Ministry of Works. It targets among others vulnerable women and out of school youths between the ages of 15-35 to promote their livelihoods and access to basic social services. The project also supports youth and women empowerment through access to jobs, finance and livelihood opportunities and inclusive access to basic social services including access to quality health infrastructure. Under the project, rehabilitation works will also be conducted at the Kuntaur Major Health centre and Fatoto minor health centre in addition to ECD Centres across several rural communities.According to officials, the project will also finance the rehabilitation of TVET centres to ensure that the targeted LGAs have the minimum skills development infrastructure to develop sustainable vocational capabilities in agro processing among the youth and the country’s labour force in the future. In each meeting, community members are given the opportunity to ask questions and clear doubts for enhanced understanding of the project and their roles towards its successful implementation and sustainability.
