FAWEGAM Holds Annual Dinner and Fundraising
Friday 6th July 2007

The Forum for African Women Educationists Gambia chapter (FAWEGAM) under the patronage of Her Excellency the first lady, Madam Zainab Yahya Jammeh, will stage a fundraising dinner and dance today the 6th of July 2007, at Sun Beach Hotel, Cape Point. Prior to this, She She She took the opportunity to meet the FAWEGAM’s coordinator, Mrs Yadicon Eribo, for an interview about her organisation and tonight’s dinner. Please read below:

She She: Can you please tell us about FAWEGAM?

Yadicon: Fawegam is The Gambia chapter of the Forum for African Women Educationists (FAWEGAM). It is a non- political, voluntary, charitable, and non-sectarian organisation which brings together African women ministers in charge of National Education systems, Vice Chancellors of universities in Africa, senior women committed to supporting girls and women’s education. In keeping with this mission the Gambia chapter is committed to creating an enabling environment for the girl child to be an educated, responsible and assertive citizen in line with education for all.

She She: What are the aims and objectives of FAWEGAM?

Yadicon: FAWEGAM’s main aims and objectives are to promote girls’ education and ensuring comprehensive development of women and girls so that they can make a meaningful contribution to national development; and when the girls are educated, it improves their earning capacities, reduce poverty, and mitigate a list of problems young people are facing, especially girls, like dropping out from schools, early pregnancies early marriages, and baby dumping. When girls are educated, all these can be avoided. Girls and women constitute about half of the population and as we strengthen them through education, the strength of the nation is also developed.

She She: What are some of your activities?

Yadicon: our Activities include mother clubs; we have hundred mother clubs nationwide. They are groups of very strong women; they organise themselves and support the education of girls; they buy uniforms, provide stationery, clean environment of schools; some even pay extra teachers for their daughters, whilst some build toilets and staff quarters in some schools. They also counsel the girls and discourage harmful practices like early marriage and teenage pregnancies. With our activities we’ve done monitoring in Upper River Region together with Mother’s Club and we have earmarked ten mother clubs to receive seed money and labour saving devices.

She She: How many girls benefit from your scholarships?

Yadicon: We have given scholarships to over eight hundred girls in Western Region through the American Embassy and the scholarship is called American Girls Scholarship program (AGSP). These girls receive free uniforms, books, bednets and medical check up.

She She: I understand you are hosting a fundraising dinner today, what is this event all about?

Yadicon: FAWEGAM holds annual dinners and fundraising and the purpose of this is to raise funds, but this year we want to build a multipurpose centre where we can support girls, that’s why we have embarked on raising funds for the secretariat centre also. So we are calling all the NGOs, Government Civil Servant business men and women, and every concerned person to come and witness the dinner at Sun Beach hotel today, tickets at D750 for individuals and corporate tables are D1500. Let people come and enjoy in an effort to raise funds and help our girls.

She She: What are some of your targets?

Yadicon:  we are planning to create a science and maths clinic during summer vacation, we do what we call ‘Tuseme’ which is a Swahili word meaning ‘speak out’, in St George’s school in URR. We ‘ve trained six heads of schools, twelve teachers and fifty students.

And St George’s school has created a Tuseme club and they are plannng to extend it to other schools we are also vitalising our FAWEGAM junior club and FAWEGAM membership.