The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Hatab Fadera
20 October 2009
In yet another recognition of his selfless service to the advancement of humanity, the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, yesterday afternoon was decorated with the Major Donor Level III Diamon Pin, Crystal and Benefactor by the Rotary Foundation of the Rotary International, at a ceremony held at State House, Banjul.
This development came following the president's humanitarian gesture of giving US$30,000 to the foundation some two years ago on behalf of thirty people who are now Paul Harris Fellows of the foundation. In the same vein, the First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia, Her Excellency Madam Zeineb Yahya Jammeh, was also presented with Major Donor Level III Neck Lace by the same foundation, whilst Mariam and Muhammed Yahya Jammeh also received the Paul Harris Fellows awards.
Among the receipients of this award also included Aja Fatou Bojang, mother of the president of the Republic; some ministers; the chief of protocol, Alhaji Ceeay; the Inspector General of The Gambia Police Force, Ensa Badjie; Ansumana Jammeh, the executive director of Jammeh Foundation for Peace; Alhaji Momodou Sanyang, director general of The Gambia Radio and Television Services; and several other individuals. The opportunity which was availed to these fellows through President Jammeh is in recognition and appreciation of the significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.
Speaking at the occassion shortly after being pinned with the accolade, President Jammeh thanked the Almighty Allah for making the memorable day possible, and congratulated all Paul Harris Fellows for the achievement. As a member of the the club himself, the president reiterated the pledge he made earlier to make The Gambia District as the highest number of Paul Harris Fellows not only in Africa but the world over. "I always aim for the high and I want this district to be the best in terms of rotary," stated the president. He pledged 15 Paul Harris Fellows for each of the two rotary clubs in The Gambia, noting that this excludes the undisclosed figure from himself.
President Jammeh further commended the two rotary clubs for their exemplary services to humanity, noting that he felt touched anytime he watch the national television news, by their humanitarian services they are rendering to the people in distressed. "I want to assure you that The Gambia though small, we want to be an example of humanity," said the president.
The president spoke at length on the need for sharing and caring among people in the world, saying that "no matter how much you worship Allah, if we are not of service to humanity, I think it will be very difficult to face the Almighty God." Sharing and caring as it is in both Quran and the Bible, according to The Gambian leader, is one of the fundamental pillars and principles of human anity. He described it as key principle of worshiping God, saying "if we don't care for each other, the kingdom of God will be far away from humanity." "God gives you for a reason and I think the only logical reason why God has given anyone is for us to also give out. If we do that, we will live in a very peaceful and caring world where destitution will be absent," he said. To this end, he noted that the rotary clubs have encouraged him to do more, indicating that they have demonstrated that they are one noble organisation that is out purely to save humanity from suffering.
To the Gambian leader, peace is not only about the absence of war, that "even if you live in one of the most peaceful countries, if you have nothing to eat, you are not enjoying any peace. If you are sick and cannot get treatment, you have no peace," stated President Jammeh, while assuring the rotarians that the "sky is the limit" in the cause of humanity.
Speaking on behalf of the fellows, the minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Fatou Lamin Faye, hailed President Jammeh for enabling them to be Paul Harris Fellows. Minister Lamin Faye told the gathering that the president's line of thinking to humanity is in line with the founder of Rotary. She said that they are always proud of the president's contribution to the development of not only Gambians but other people in the world. She expressed their resolve to live up to the expectations of the Rotary Foundation. For his part, Rotarian Aki Allen, assistant governor of the Rotary Foundation,who represented the Rotary International District governor, expressed delight at the move, and asserted that the day marked a history in the annals of Rotary International. He hailed President Jammeh for what he called his profound generosity by sponsoring all thirty awardees of Paul Harris Fellows, as well as his continuous support to them.
The mission of the Rotary Foundation, he told the gathering, is to enable rotarians to advance world peace, through the improvement of health, support to education and the alleviation of poverty. The Rotary Foundation, he indicated, is not a profit making corporation but supported surely by rotarian volunteers and friends of the foundation, who share its vision of a better world."Every amount contributed to the Rotary Foundation is spent in support of humanitarian ventures including education and cultural programmes and their operations," he asserted.
Among the projects that the foundation embarked on in The Gambia, he said, included the support to schools, the assistance of medical equipment to the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital and the Bansang Hospital, and polio immunization programme. Other speakers at the ceremony included Rotarian Musukebba Ceesay, president of the Rotary Club of Fajara and Rotarian Dedenal Williams, president Rotary Club of Banjul.
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