Thursday, April 7, 2011

Inter Africa Committe Board Meeting, GAMCOTRAP Hosted


NEWS BANJUL THE GAMBIA (MB)- The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices affecting the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP) hosted the Inter African Committee (IAC) Annual Board Meeting from the 29 – 31 March 2011 at the Kairaba Beach Hotel. The annual meeting gathered Board of Directors of IAC from 10 member countries in Africa. 
  Addressing member at the official opening, Mr. Yankuba Dibba Board Chairperson of the Association of Non-Governmental Organisation (TANGO) told the gathering that as a founding member of the IAC he noted will appreciation GAMCOTRAP’s contribution towards addressing the IAC Mission, objectives and foul in the Gambia. 
  He adds:     “GAMCOTRAP has done a lot of work in the country with great courage, professionalism and passion”. According to Dibba, the IAC is a membership organisation, founded in 1984, and from its humble beginings, it has now grown to include National Committees in 28 African Countries and is Affiliates sections in Europe, USA, Canada, Japan and New Zealand. 
  The mission of the organisation Dibba said is to promote gender equality and contribute to the improvement of the health status, social, economic political, human rights and quality of life of African women and children through elimination of harmful traditional practices and the production of beneficial ones. 
 Chairperson Dibba stated that “ I have no dount that the journey since the founding of the IAC has been a long and daungthing one, characterized by success as well as numerous challenges due to the many basis that potentially militate against attainment of such a mission.” There challenges, he disclosed include gender inequalities, low socia – economic status, especially of women, high levels of illiteracy, religious misconceptions as well as inadequate policy and regulatory framework amongst others, he remarked. 
  He told members that he (Dibba) joins many to feel underpins the new and critical challenge omly for GAMCOTRAP but for all the NGO sector saying that “ if recent experiences of GAMCOTRAP and many others, I am prioy to are anything to go by, I would like to urged the IAC Board and the entire NGO community to start thinking of a new panadifin to our governance responsibilities”. 
  He continued; “ instead of consttidating existing so-called “donors and receipients” relationships, going forward, we must begin to explore strategies that facilitate a move from donorship to ownership”. 
 He put to the gathering that they must begin urgently to take responsibility and leadership in developing the necessary resources, and formulating appropriate strategies that, he (Dibba) described that empower Southern NGO’s to forge mutually beneficial partnerships with their northern colleagues.” we should begin to break the culture of dependance and engender one that encourages equit y and partnership and lead ultimately to our sustainability”, he positioned. 
  He finally welcome all participant to the Gambia and wish  them safe journey back home. 
 President of IAC, Mrs. Mariam Lamizana Traorel, thanked GAMCOTRAP and the government of the Gambia for hosting the IAC board meeting she also recognised the efforts of the Gambian Vice Pesident Dr. Aja Isatou Njie Saidy saying that IAC consider VP Njie Saidy as a pioner to the work of women empowerment. 
  According to IAC president for the 28 years they have doing a lots of works, but despite that they faced with challenges in the fight against FGM. She added that FGM is a gross violation o human been working with governments, local orgnisatons in the fights against FGM through sensitization. Madam Berhane Ras Work, executive director, IAC, Mrs. Kadija Sidibeh Aoudou Board member all spoke a the meeting and was closed by Dr. Isatou Touray. 

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