UPGRADING THE GIRL CHILD - WOMEN EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVES WITH EMPLOYABILTY SKILLS & INTERVENTION PROGRAMS, RAISING AWARENESS ON CHILD TRAFFICKING AND OTHERS CRITICAL ISSUES THAT ARE OF CONCERN Since its inception, Eclipx’ has envisaged contributing towards developing the underprivileged youngsters especially the Girl Child and orphans in the Gambian community. We have noticed that these particular groups are not accessing equal levels of support from where they should get it and are not moving away from the settings they’ve always known and gotten used to. It is for this reason that Eclipx was founded to lend a hand and contribute as well as support individuals of this group to develop and contribute towards their own environment. There is an identified need for this particular service to be delivered in the community so that everyone can benefit from and gain skills by joining our free IT courses and other training sessions that will be delivered by partners and other professionals who share the same goal as Eclipx as an organisation. There is a lot of development going on in the country such as the Apprenticeship mission for youngsters and this will be an opportunity for everyone in the community, guardians, parents, to see their dependents gaining skills to equip themselves and proceed to employment. The project seeks to work with beneficiaries, partners, funders, stakeholders in the community in the Gambia and its surroundings to significantly add value, create areas of training and improve access. It also aims to help people with health concerns and issues that they grapple with to combat the commonly evident problems they face alongside their situations and the lack of awareness on issues that are mostly of concern to every individual in the community. The latter will be a specific focus for this project as there is an increasing number of destitute young people who need to survive and need to have knowledge of issues related to their health because it is vital to their wellbeing as well as upskilling them. The project will also feature a wide range of services that are appropriate to the beneficiaries of Eclipx and will be delivered in appropriate settings and venues. In most families the Girl Child is seen to never lose. As such the Boy child is seen to need education because they will grow up to be the head of the family or to look after their spouses so they do not have to work or struggle a lot. This is being eradicated in these days because women now become heads of state, leaders in the corporate world and take on very challenging roles globally. Eclipx will mainly focus on supporting the Girl child throughout the life of the project. Eclipx’ Vision
Eclipx’ vision is of a world in which young African underprivileged women are emancipated, empowered to promote their interests and live free of perennial poverty because of lack of skills, ill health, lack of decision-making power and other forms of disempowerment. A world in which young people have something to look forward to i.e. a livelihood, being able to solve their own problems without being aggressive, without being dependent on others in their families and adhering to what is called a societal norm and respecting family values being a young woman or orphan amongst all. Eclipx Aims
The main aim is to equip underprivileged young people, young girls in the Gambia; young orphans with minimum support and weak support networks to help them change their lives with a health-focused initiative. Eclipx will be working to enforce basic knowledge and skills, and Information Technology Training that will enable these groups gain underpinning knowledge as a starting point for a new phase in their lives. We envisage the possibility of producing young journalists, film makers, broadcasters, employable groups working in areas that initiate change in the community. We are aware of what is needed to make these groups very astute and aware of the world around them. Through apprenticeship and good partnership work, our target groups will become employable. We therefore target and support both underprivileged and everyone willing to use our services. The expertise of everyone is needed. I am sure everyone here is willing to chip in. There are few things that need to be fine tuned. So your contribution is highly anticipated. Already, we have a team of experts and humanitarians individuals/volunteers who are taking this a step further. We are better whwn we all work together. This is needed in our community because we have noticed that the support for youngsters is not enough. There are limited resources available for all to tap into. We have identified the gap and your support will make it happen. There is a need to be well informed and equipped in order to tackle the issues that youngsters, in the country and anywhere in the world where resources are limited, grapple with daily. Our initiative will enable us collaborate, work in partnership with other organisations that are set up to tackle the same issues and help alleviate poverty and make these groups become knowledgeable, economically empowered, aware of their surroundings more, become decision makers, influence policies and say no to any atrocities…
THE GLORY AND MAJESTY OF AFRICAN WOMEN - YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY FEMINISM IS NOT A EUROPEAN THING - WE DID NOT LEARN ABOUT FEMINISM IN THE WEST. IT WAS THERE ALREADY. IT WAS THERE...IT IS FROM OUR GRANDMOTHERS WHO HELD THE FORT FOR OUR GREAT GRAND PARENTS WHEN THEY LEFT HOME TO THEIR WORK. THE GRAND MOTHER TOOK CARE OF THINGS. TO ME THAT DEFINES THE STRENGTH OF THE AFRICAN WOMAN. SHE IS WORTH TO EMULATE...YES SHE IS MAMA AFRICA. THEY LOVED THEMSELVES, THEY A MARK AND SUPPORTED BY THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS. I SALUTE MAMA AFRICA FOR INSTILLING THIS IN MY GRANDMOTHER, MY MOTHER, MY SISTERS. FEMINISM IS ABOUT LOVING YOURSELF, RESPECTING HER VALUES AS A WOMAN. WHAT SHE REPRESENTS. IT IS ABOUT GIVING ONESELF ACCOLADES AS A BEING, A WOMANBEING. IT IS ALSO SUPPORTING THE BROTHERS AND REPREENTING THEM WHEREVER AND WHENEVER...SO MAMA AFRICA CAN ONLY WORK WITH PAPA AFRICA. AKINA MAMA WA AFRIKA...AKINA PAPA WA AFRIKA...WHEN PRINCE PHILLIP ASKED ME...I SIMPLY SAID THAT THEY ARE ALL AROUND DOING THEIR BITS TO SUPPORT THE SISTERHOOD. JARAMA YENN GORRI AFRIQUE. This is the African man’s historical recognition, tribute and salute to the prominence, grandeur and majesty of African women. By chatting with those who recognise the African Woman's Efforts in keeping her kingdom, her home, her hut, her home in a good light. I salute Mama Africa. We hear this praises all the time. The African man values his African Queen. The African Queen must keep recognising it. For many thousands of years the African woman has been adulated, revered and venerated by individuals, families and nations--not only in Africa but around the world. Prehistoric records show her as queen, deity, scholar, diplomat, scientist, icon, clairvoyant and freedom fighting warrior exalted with and sometimes above her father, husband and brothers. The African woman has administered great and mighty nations, led determined and capable armies into battle and founded splendid and enduring royal dynasties. Indeed, no other human of any racial or ethnic type has been so widely venerated as has the African woman. All this has a meaning, when we say above her father, in kingdoms where Fathers can abdicate to let their daughters rule was all possible. What the African Woman did is more than we can imagine. When people talk about Feminism being a European thing, I tell them I beg to differ because of the resources gathered and stories being told to me since a very young age. It is good to learn, listen and get interested in what grand mamas tell you. They are knowledgeable, interesting and never feel the need to tell you stories that do have some kind of facts in them. I used to call my grandmamma, “Encyclopedia Juridique” for all the stories she used to tell me were too heavy, for me, to absorb at the age of 8. Today, I still wish she was around to talk to me more so that I record all the stories she told that she also learned from Saint Ube, an island in Portugal to Fatick Senegal, a great grand daughter of Bour Sine Kumba Ndoffen Diouf. How did that happen? Only L’histoire can tell you this. Only Story Tellers can equip you with this knowledge. That Story Teller can be you in the near future, yourself and no one else.By learning you will sure be able to teach others, not today, not tomorrow only it will be here, around forever. So don’t procrastinate any opportunities and never allow to put yourselves in a situation where you will regret what you should’ve known that you could’ve known so much but thought that there is no need. I would never need that information. Record… Record… Record your family stories, it is important to know your roots. They are not translated into wealth, do not determine anything more than having the ability to say who, what, where, when and how…
This is what I will be bringing you in the near future – It is my niche and I want to make sure that many stories are going to be told. I dedicate the African Women Heroines to my Sisters-Brothers-Fathers-Mothers-Aunties-Grandmothers and every living soul. Emulate, Anticipate, Replicate because it is all good. ToBeContinued.....
