FAWEGAM Join Forces with Peace Corps to Boost Girls Education

The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWEGAM) in collaboration with Peace Corps The Gambia, recently organised what they refer to as ‘take our daughters to work’ at a ceremony held at the Girl Guides Hall, in Kanifing. The project ‘Take Our Daughters to Work’ started in the United States then the program has been repeated in many countries all over the world - including a pilot in the greater Bansang area, Basse and Farafenni initiated in December 1999. Each year, on the international Take Our Daughters to Work Day, young female students accompany women to their work places to observe various jobs and renew their commitment to continuing their education.

According to FAWEGAM Coordinator Mrs. Yadicon Njie, this year’s program brought togetherparticipants from regions two through six each represented by five female students. The host mothers, she added, are working women in the Greater Banjul Area who hold professions such as headmistresses, teachers, lawyers, bankers, news readers and many other women worth looking up to.

Gisele Gnavi of FAWEGAM encouraged the girls to participate and to be peer educators when they go back to their respective homes and to look up to their host mothers so that they would be better role models in the future. This she said can only be achieved through education.

Madame Isatou Gaggiko said that girls in The Gambia face obstacles that female students in all parts of the world face, such as low self-esteem, peer pressure not to excel, low teacher expectations and the like. However FAWEGAM and Peace Corps have taken the plunge to encourage these girls to have an education and build up their self-esteem he added.

“For every country to develop, there must be strong women,” said Mr. Mike McConnell the Country Director of Peace Corps, before drawing the curtains on the opening ceremony.

‘I am very delighted and proud to be a host mother to one of the girls because back at school we never had such an opportunity,’ said Yamundow Jagne Joof the Officer-in-Command of the Police Child Welfare Unit. She added that she was glad that the authorities came up with such an initiative. “My child is from Bakalarr. Her name is Buya Bah and she attends Bakalarr Upper Basic School,” she proudly stated.