Chairperson's Welcome Statement at the Fourth Fund-raising Dinner & Panel Discussion

 

Members of the high table,

Distinguished sponsors and guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen

Students  

 

On behalf of the Advisers to the Board, and members of the Board of Trustees of the Francis DeGaulle Njie Foundation, I welcome you all to our fourth fund-raising dinner and panel discussion.

 

Let me start by giving you a brief synopsis of the foundation’s achievements.

For the guests who are new to the foundation’s activities, the foundation was established four years ago and is a registered charitable organisation working with two main objectives:

 

1.      To enhance the educational system in The Gambia by providing support to science students.

2.      To raise cancer awareness, engage in health education and promotion, and provide support to affected individuals and their families.

In the education programme, we work with schools in the Greater Banjul area and we hope to include other senior secondary schools in the rest of the Gambia, and eventually the University of the Gambia as the foundation grows in financial strength and human resource.

In the health programme, we have embarked on several health-related seminars during past seminars focusing on cancer awareness topics. We are also collaborating with the RVTH in their work on cervical cancer screening and care. Cervical cancer is the commonest cancer among Gambian women.

 

 

 

In the last year we have been able to achieve the following in the area of education:

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Future plans include:

1.      To use schools’ career days to conduct such career path lecture series with speakers from other professions;

2.      To include more schools from outside the Greater Banjul Area into the scholarship programme.

 

In the area of health and charity, we were able to consolidate our collaboration with the RVTH by sponsoring the refurbishment of their new Cervical Cancer Screening Unit, which is being managed by some of the nurses trained earlier through the Foundation’s assistance two years ago.

Plans for the future with Health & Charity:

1.      We would like to assist with the training of laboratory technicians to work in the histology and cytology labs at the RVTH to support the cervical cancer screening unit.

 

2.      And further collaborate with the RVTH and other Regional Health teams to conduct awareness-raising campaigns and community sensitization on cancer prevention, and early detection signs and available help.

 

The theme of the panel discussion this year is “DRUG ABUSE AMONG THE GAMBIAN YOUTH:  HOW DO WE AVERT A POTENTIAL NATIONAL CRISIS?”It is indeed in line with the Foundation motto: “helping young minds achieve excellence”.

 

For young minds to be able to achieve excellence, they must be free of all forms of illicit drugs and other harmful substances. Therefore, how can young people help to develop our lovely nation, The Gambia and the wider world, if they are involved in the use of substances such as marijuana (jamba), cocaine, LSD and other illicit substances? How can they? As parents of young people or as youths gathered here this evening, it is very likely that we know someone who is affected by drug abuse, and that makes us to be affected by the abuse of illicit drugs in the country.

 

We live in a world that is constantly changing; and some of the changes we witness can be beneficial or detrimental to young people especially. We watch the national news and see the amount of illicit drugs being confiscated in the country, and are therefore concerned about the amount of drugs that is potentially available to our youths. It is from this point that many young lives are damaged, well before they even have the chance to start living their lives as adults.

Because of this concern, the foundation saw it fitting to focus on this topical issue because without a sound mind and body, there can be no learning and development. We recognise the role Government is playing in the body of the National Drug Enforcement Agency that is why we have their presence here today in the panellist.

 

We also acknowledge that the NDEA cannot do it alone, as only a collective effort can effectively fight illicit drug use among the youth. We therefore decided to include in the panel:

An Educationist;

A Legal Practitioner;

A Medical Practitioner;

A Mental Health Nurse, and

A Social Worker.

 

We hope all these experts here present, together with our individual contributions, will tonight help to bring forward some good proposals that our policy makers will take on board in their fight against drug abuse among the youth.

 

We have not forgotten the most vulnerable group, the students, who are mostly targeted by the drug pushers and have invited student representatives from the schools we sponsor and other schools and institutions in the Greater Banjul Area to grace this occasion and to participate in the discussion.

 

And to the students here present to represent your schools, I urge you all to participate actively in the discussion and to learn from it and take back to your schools and institutions the key messages to help in the fight against the use of illicit drugs in our country.

 

I will now hand you over to the moderator for this evening’s panel discussion. He is a journalist by profession and a great writer of several books. He is no other than Mr Nana Grey-Johnson who will take us through the discussions.

 

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, I thank you all for your kind attention.

Vivat Thomas-Njie

 

Members of the high table,

Distinguished sponsors and guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen

Students  

 

On behalf of the Advisers to the Board, and members of the Board of Trustees of the Francis DeGaulle Njie Foundation, I welcome you all to our fourth fund-raising dinner and panel discussion.

 

Let me start by giving you a brief synopsis of the foundation’s achievements.

For the guests who are new to the foundation’s activities, the foundation was established four years ago and is a registered charitable organisation working with two main objectives:

 

1.      To enhance the educational system in The Gambia by providing support to science students.

2.      To raise cancer awareness, engage in health education and promotion, and provide support to affected individuals and their families.

In the education programme, we work with schools in the Greater Banjul area and we hope to include other senior secondary schools in the rest of the Gambia, and eventually the University of the Gambia as the foundation grows in financial strength and human resource.

In the health programme, we have embarked on several health-related seminars during past seminars focusing on cancer awareness topics. We are also collaborating with the RVTH in their work on cervical cancer screening and care. Cervical cancer is the commonest cancer among Gambian women.

 

 

 

In the last year we have been able to achieve the following in the area of education:

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Future plans include:

1.      To use schools’ career days to conduct such career path lecture series with speakers from other professions;

2.      To include more schools from outside the Greater Banjul Area into the scholarship programme.

 

In the area of health and charity, we were able to consolidate our collaboration with the RVTH by sponsoring the refurbishment of their new Cervical Cancer Screening Unit, which is being managed by some of the nurses trained earlier through the Foundation’s assistance two years ago.

Plans for the future with Health & Charity:

1.      We would like to assist with the training of laboratory technicians to work in the histology and cytology labs at the RVTH to support the cervical cancer screening unit.

 

2.      And further collaborate with the RVTH and other Regional Health teams to conduct awareness-raising campaigns and community sensitization on cancer prevention, and early detection signs and available help.

 

The theme of the panel discussion this year is “DRUG ABUSE AMONG THE GAMBIAN YOUTH:  HOW DO WE AVERT A POTENTIAL NATIONAL CRISIS?”It is indeed in line with the Foundation motto: “helping young minds achieve excellence”.

 

For young minds to be able to achieve excellence, they must be free of all forms of illicit drugs and other harmful substances. Therefore, how can young people help to develop our lovely nation, The Gambia and the wider world, if they are involved in the use of substances such as marijuana (jamba), cocaine, LSD and other illicit substances? How can they? As parents of young people or as youths gathered here this evening, it is very likely that we know someone who is affected by drug abuse, and that makes us to be affected by the abuse of illicit drugs in the country.

 

We live in a world that is constantly changing; and some of the changes we witness can be beneficial or detrimental to young people especially. We watch the national news and see the amount of illicit drugs being confiscated in the country, and are therefore concerned about the amount of drugs that is potentially available to our youths. It is from this point that many young lives are damaged, well before they even have the chance to start living their lives as adults.

Because of this concern, the foundation saw it fitting to focus on this topical issue because without a sound mind and body, there can be no learning and development. We recognise the role Government is playing in the body of the National Drug Enforcement Agency that is why we have their presence here today in the panellist.

 

We also acknowledge that the NDEA cannot do it alone, as only a collective effort can effectively fight illicit drug use among the youth. We therefore decided to include in the panel:

An Educationist;

A Legal Practitioner;

A Medical Practitioner;

A Mental Health Nurse, and

A Social Worker.

 

We hope all these experts here present, together with our individual contributions, will tonight help to bring forward some good proposals that our policy makers will take on board in their fight against drug abuse among the youth.

 

We have not forgotten the most vulnerable group, the students, who are mostly targeted by the drug pushers and have invited student representatives from the schools we sponsor and other schools and institutions in the Greater Banjul Area to grace this occasion and to participate in the discussion.

 

And to the students here present to represent your schools, I urge you all to participate actively in the discussion and to learn from it and take back to your schools and institutions the key messages to help in the fight against the use of illicit drugs in our country.

 

I will now hand you over to the moderator for this evening’s panel discussion. He is a journalist by profession and a great writer of several books. He is no other than Mr Nana Grey-Johnson who will take us through the discussions.

 

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, I thank you all for your kind attention.

Vivat Thomas-Njie

 

Members of the high table,

Distinguished sponsors and guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen

Students  

 

On behalf of the Advisers to the Board, and members of the Board of Trustees of the Francis DeGaulle Njie Foundation, I welcome you all to our fourth fund-raising dinner and panel discussion.

 

Let me start by giving you a brief synopsis of the foundation’s achievements.

For the guests who are new to the foundation’s activities, the foundation was established four years ago and is a registered charitable organisation working with two main objectives:

 

1.      To enhance the educational system in The Gambia by providing support to science students.

2.      To raise cancer awareness, engage in health education and promotion, and provide support to affected individuals and their families.

In the education programme, we work with schools in the Greater Banjul area and we hope to include other senior secondary schools in the rest of the Gambia, and eventually the University of the Gambia as the foundation grows in financial strength and human resource.

In the health programme, we have embarked on several health-related seminars during past seminars focusing on cancer awareness topics. We are also collaborating with the RVTH in their work on cervical cancer screening and care. Cervical cancer is the commonest cancer among Gambian women.

 

 

 

In the last year we have been able to achieve the following in the area of education:

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Future plans include:

1.      To use schools’ career days to conduct such career path lecture series with speakers from other professions;

2.      To include more schools from outside the Greater Banjul Area into the scholarship programme.

 

In the area of health and charity, we were able to consolidate our collaboration with the RVTH by sponsoring the refurbishment of their new Cervical Cancer Screening Unit, which is being managed by some of the nurses trained earlier through the Foundation’s assistance two years ago.

Plans for the future with Health & Charity:

1.      We would like to assist with the training of laboratory technicians to work in the histology and cytology labs at the RVTH to support the cervical cancer screening unit.

 

2.      And further collaborate with the RVTH and other Regional Health teams to conduct awareness-raising campaigns and community sensitization on cancer prevention, and early detection signs and available help.

 

The theme of the panel discussion this year is “DRUG ABUSE AMONG THE GAMBIAN YOUTH:  HOW DO WE AVERT A POTENTIAL NATIONAL CRISIS?”It is indeed in line with the Foundation motto: “helping young minds achieve excellence”.

 

For young minds to be able to achieve excellence, they must be free of all forms of illicit drugs and other harmful substances. Therefore, how can young people help to develop our lovely nation, The Gambia and the wider world, if they are involved in the use of substances such as marijuana (jamba), cocaine, LSD and other illicit substances? How can they? As parents of young people or as youths gathered here this evening, it is very likely that we know someone who is affected by drug abuse, and that makes us to be affected by the abuse of illicit drugs in the country.

 

We live in a world that is constantly changing; and some of the changes we witness can be beneficial or detrimental to young people especially. We watch the national news and see the amount of illicit drugs being confiscated in the country, and are therefore concerned about the amount of drugs that is potentially available to our youths. It is from this point that many young lives are damaged, well before they even have the chance to start living their lives as adults.

Because of this concern, the foundation saw it fitting to focus on this topical issue because without a sound mind and body, there can be no learning and development. We recognise the role Government is playing in the body of the National Drug Enforcement Agency that is why we have their presence here today in the panellist.

 

We also acknowledge that the NDEA cannot do it alone, as only a collective effort can effectively fight illicit drug use among the youth. We therefore decided to include in the panel:

An Educationist;

A Legal Practitioner;

A Medical Practitioner;

A Mental Health Nurse, and

A Social Worker.

 

We hope all these experts here present, together with our individual contributions, will tonight help to bring forward some good proposals that our policy makers will take on board in their fight against drug abuse among the youth.

 

We have not forgotten the most vulnerable group, the students, who are mostly targeted by the drug pushers and have invited student representatives from the schools we sponsor and other schools and institutions in the Greater Banjul Area to grace this occasion and to participate in the discussion.

 

And to the students here present to represent your schools, I urge you all to participate actively in the discussion and to learn from it and take back to your schools and institutions the key messages to help in the fight against the use of illicit drugs in our country.

 

I will now hand you over to the moderator for this evening’s panel discussion. He is a journalist by profession and a great writer of several books. He is no other than Mr Nana Grey-Johnson who will take us through the discussions.

 

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, I thank you all for your kind attention.

Vivat Thomas-Njie