By Mariam Williams
The Gambia National Commission for UNESCO (NATCOM) on Tuesday donated some sanitary materials to Broadcasters Association- The Gambia (BAG), at a presentation held at the NATCOM office in Banjul.
The sanitary items, which are meant for the safety of journalists and radio broadcasters during this Covid-19 pandemic, were funded by ICESCO in partnership with MiSK Foundation. They included 10 buckets of 35 liters containers with tap for hand washing, 10 buckets of 20 liters containers, 25 bottles of Madar liquid, 20 pieces of green Gels, 20 bottles of dettol liquid, 48 pieces of hand sanitisers (big bottles),48 pieces of hand sanitisers (small bottles), 1 carton of dettol soap and 5 cartons of bleach.
The Principal Programme Officer at NATCOM, Mrs. Maimuna Sidibeh, said NATCOM was really pleased to deliver those items to BAG, informing that the items were from ICESCO and the MiSK Foundation.
She spoke of NATCOM’s financial and technical support to BAG through radio campaign, noting the principal objective of the campaign was to empower local communities with the right information and taking adequate precautions, as far as health advice is from the WHO and the Ministry of Health, in order to reduce risk of individuals, families and communities contacting the virus.
Madam Sidibeh said NATCOM has vested interest in supporting media development in the Gambia, in a bit to ensure the safety of journalists and radio broadcasters during this Covid Pandemic. She hoped the donated items would be put into good use.
Also speaking, Mr. Baboucarr Cham, Vice Chairperson of BAG, expressed their delights at receiving these assortment of sanitary materials from NATCOM, saying those materials didn’t not only symbolise the National Commission’s contribution towards good health but to fight against Covid-19 together with media sector.
He said the protection of media workers and media facilities is particularly important; and that precautions are necessary to prevent the potential spread of the virus in radio stations and other media institutions, among others .
“BAG working with NATCOM-UNESCO and other stakeholders will continue the efforts to galvanise support for initiatives that are geared towards cleanliness and creating awareness of the general public in the spirit of protection of human health and fight against Covid-19. “Notwithstanding, we believe that these materials will go a long way in protecting behavioural change that will help in the fight against Covid-19 among BAG members, radio stations and other stakeholders,” Cham remarked. He told the gathering that they are appreciative of the continuous support and partnerships with NATCOM and UNESCO.
“We commend the Secretary General and his team for the commitment given to the work of BAG, particularly in the fight against Covid-19,” the BAg Vice Chair intimated.
“Finally, I wish to assure you that these sanitary materials received will be put into good use, and contribute towards positive environmental quality and human health, particularly in the fight against Covid -19,” he told the audience at the presentation.
