By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
Gambian Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Women’s Association for Victims’ Empowerment (WAVE) and Fantanka visited the SOS Children’s Village on 11th December 2021 to commemorate International Human Rights Day and mark the end of 16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
WAVE and Fantanka are women-based organisations focused on victim empowerment and alleviating the impact of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence [SGBV] in The Gambia. Fantanka is a Mandinka word meaning to prevent/protect yourself. The two organisations partnered to support grassroots sensitisation in schools.
On 11th December 2021, the two organisations visited SOS Children’s Village where a drama was conducted featuring popular Gender Advocate Toufah Jallow’s testimony at the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) was performed. Young female students received a ‘dignity kit’ which included deodorant, soap and sanitary pads.
The students also performed a dance routine and received food after the event.
WAVE – Avoiding Non-Occurrence
Speaking to Sigga Ndure, programs Associate at WAVE who coordinated the event she explained that “a lot of kids watch the TRRC especially youths but a lot of them do not know what’s it about. Why it was set up and the mandate of the TRRC. They don’t know the government’s role after the TRRC ends. So, we thought it was essential to teach them what it’s about. So, they can hold their leaders accountable in the future to avoid non-reoccurrence again.”
The TRRC is an institution enacted by The Gambia’s National Assembly to investigate the human rights violations of the former Yahya Jammeh administration to document the violations, provide reparations to the victims and avoid non-reoccurrence.
Asked how many schools they have visited so far, Ms Ndure noted that “we’ve done it in six schools so far. [SOS Children’s Village] is the seventh school. We did it in Brikama, Brufut, Essau, Sibarnor and Kafuta”.
The activities conducted at the schools include Drama about the Transitional Justice process. The schools “choose different topics, [SOS Children’s Village] did SGBV. A lot of the other schools choose different topics like April 10/11, November 11th and the Witch Hunt,” said Ms Ndure.
Fantanka – Increasing Awareness about TRRC
Victim Coordinator of Fantanka Marlen Jobarteh explained that “Fantanka took it as part of its activities to get to the grassroots which is the students and the younger ones to talk to them about their rights and SGBV”.
According to Ms Jobarteh, Fantanka “are aware that all these things are happening [SGBV]. Most girls, especially the younger ones don’t know about their rights, that’s why when they have been violated or abused, they don’t want to talk about it. So, we went to them to ensure that they come on board so they know what is going on”.
“We included the TRRC because there are so many people that have been victimised and discriminated [against] after giving their testimonies at the TRRC. So, we realise that it is really important to get to the public and to the younger ones as well to talk to them about the Transitional Justice so that they know the mandate of the TRRC and not to question to testimonies of the victims,” said Ms Jobarteh.