“These are happy moments”: authorities in Mansakonko react to UNICEF’s intervention

Regional authorities in the Lower River Region, including the governor of the region, the Chairman of the Mansakonko Area Council, and Regional Health and Education officials, have described how UNICEF’s intervention in the region has changed the lives of children and women and improved service delivery for the most vulnerable. In schools and health facilities, the UNICEF Representative in The Gambia, Gordon Jonathan Lewis, heard testimonies and was shown evidence of how UNICEF’s support to the education and health sectors is transforming livelihoods across the region.

In Mansakonko, where UNICEF is actively working with regional authorities to integrate children’s issues into their routine work, the agency handed over IT equipment – computer, printer and accessories – to the Chairman and his team.  The supplies, which will eventually also include a motorcycle, are meant to support the council’s monitoring and coordination of children’s matters and harmonization of all interventions amongst stakeholders in the region. Landing Sanneh, the Chairman of Mansakonko Area Council, said in his remarks at the handing over of the equipment held on Wednesday 21 October at council premises:

“These materials are very important to us because they are not just delivered to us, we asked for them.”

He added:

“As a council, we want to assume our responsibility to complement UNICEF’s and partners’ efforts in supporting the rights and development of women and children in the region.”

UNICEF has been working with the Government of The Gambia to strengthen the child protection case management system across the country in order to address children cases comprehensively across different sectors.  Lower River Region is one of the pilot regions for this programme where UNICEF is supporting the regional core coordination mechanism, a body comprising regional officials from education, health, the police, social welfare, community development, and immigration to facilitate regular meetings to review children’s matters in the region and address challenges faced by stakeholders.

Gordon Jonathan Lewis, UNICEF The Gambia Representative said:

“Investing in local communities has a great potential to improve the lives of children and their families. No single entity can address all the challenges and needs of children. We must all work together.”

Ahead of the handing over, the UNICEF Representative made a brief stop at the Governor’s office where the two officials renewed commitment to strengthen collaboration, especially in the area of children and women rights. Ms. Rohey John, the Governor of Lower River Region surmised:

“UNICEF has been instrumental in our core development priorities, that is supporting the rights of women and children and their empowerment. This is a region that is very vulnerable to abuse and exploitation of women and children due to its location as a transit point. We want to continue working with UNICEF to engage more families and communities to address these issues.”