By Maimuna Sey-Jawo
The Nyaboute Foundation has over the weekend held its second training workshop for young women on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C).
The Forum that was held at the Nehemia Nursery School in Brufut was funded from the MMK Gambia Friendship Association and A34 NGO from Finland.
Speaking at the opening Ceremony Mr. Abdoulie K. Baldeh the Coordinator of the foundation said Nyaboute meaning “family”, aims to promote health education of women and girls through a Social and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) approach.
He noted that the foundation also addresses sexual and reproductive health system, family planning, female genital mutilation, gender base violence, early marriage and epidemics such as tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDs through their community volunteers whom shall fetch cases in the community for testing and treatment where possible at basic health facilities.
Baldeh added that the 2-day convergence was meant to sensitize the young women of Brufut on the effects of female genital mutilation or cutting as well to discourage them from the practice as it is harmful.
Baldeh said FGM/C is a cultural practice that poses lots of challenges and complications to women of the reproductive age group, adding that this is a deeply rooted cultural practice that has been confused with religion resulting to serious consequences during labor.
Baldeh further called upon all to stop practicing FGM/C, describing it as something that is very harmful to our children and the society as a whole.
Madam Maire Martikainen from the MMK Finland Gambia Friendship Association who double as a volunteer of the foundation in the Gambia, said: “We registered and started operation in the Gambia in 2008 and currently we open two nursery schools; one in Brufut and another in Busumbala where we are targeting children from poor families to give them free education,” she explained.
According to her, they fund this training for the mothers of their students in Brufut to be trained on FGM/C to create better understanding of its effects on young girls and women.
During the two days forum, participants were exposed to different presentations done by the committees of the Nyaboute Foundation in relation to the practice.
