PRESS RELEASE FROM GAMCOTRAP
GAMCOTRAP
Protect the Girl Child
The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices affecting The Health of Women and Children
(GAMCOTRAP)
IAC-CIAF
PRESS RELEASE FROM GAMCOTRAP
GAMCOTRAP HAS UNVEILED CIRCUMCISION OF THREE CHILDREN AGED 4 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR IN BAKADAGI MANDINKA IN NIANI DISTRICT OF
CRR-NORTH OF THE GAMBIA.
This is to inform the public that the circumciser in Central River Region MbaYassin Fatty was caught circumcising eight (8) children within the ages of 4months to 1 year in the village of Bakadagi-Mandinka, Central River Region North of Niani District of the Gambia. GAMCOTRAP Community Based Facilitator and Coordinator at the CRR-North and South Momodou Keita was on his usual monitoring trip in the region when He was given a tip by a community member. When the GAMCOTRAP Coordinator arrived at the scene three out of eight children were already circumcised.
The total of eight children who were slated for cutting on Monday the 16th of January at 10.51am were all found at the compound of the circumciser. The incident was reported to Kuntaur Police Station who is currently working closely with GAMCOTRAP and Child Welfare Unit in Kuntaur to make sure that the remaining children are safe and justice is done.
Meanwhile, the circumcised children have been referred to the hospital to gather the evidence and give the affected children the required treatment. Mr. Sarjo Barry who is the Child Welfare Officer at Kuntaur Police Station is working closely with GAMCOTRAP Coordinator, Momodou Keita to follow up the case. GAMCOTRAP headquarters is following the case keenly. As we report this case the police officer has informed GAMCOTRAP that one of the mother’s is on the run.
It must be realized that the affected Circumciser broke the law banning FGM and oath she made in 2013 not to circumcise anymore. She was trained by GAMCOTRAP and was among the batch of circumcisers who declared to abandon the practice in 2013 among 30 circumcisers during the 4th Dropping of the Knife Ceremony in Wassu. She was given a bakery and her son was trained to operate itas an Alternative Employment Opportunity (AEO) to abandon the knife. She was given extra resources to address the challenges she was facing in her bakery. In a recent joint monitoring visit by UNFPA, NPC and Implementing partners she informed the team that there was no circumcision in her community.
GAMCOTRAP will continue to monitor closely all the regions and support the CBFs to continue engaging with their various cluster communities. So far this circumciser is the only one out of 30 circumcisers who abandoned the knife in 2013 in the region that has defaulted. The public is hereby reminded that FGM violates the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls and the law bans it.
Thanks
