As part of a broader civil-military cooperation effort, the 9th Ghanaian contingent (GHANCOY 9) of the ECOWAS Mission in the Gambia (MICEGA/ECOMIG) carried out a significant humanitarian outreach at Farafenni High School on Thursday, July 31, 2025.
Located approximately 115 kilometres from Barra, Farafenni High School welcomed the Ghanaian peacekeepers, led by Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Ronne Yaw Agbemafle, who donated essential academic and personal supplies. The package included stationery, reading materials, and sanitary pads—resources aimed at enhancing educational support and promoting the health and dignity of female students.
“This gesture is part of the contingent’s commitment to strengthening civil-military relations, encouraging girls’ education and promoting social inclusion within host communities,” Lieutenant Colonel Agbemafle stated during the presentation.
The school’s principal, Mr. Abdou Gigo, expressed gratitude for the gesture, describing the intervention as both “timely and valuable.” He noted that the supplies would greatly motivate the students and improve their academic outcomes. Mr. Gigo also praised the simultaneous health awareness campaign as a powerful complement to the material donations.
A key feature of the day’s activities was an interactive session on menstrual hygiene, led by Captain Victoria Yayira Galley. The session aimed to dismantle taboos around menstruation, enhance menstrual health management, foster self-esteem, and reduce absenteeism among girls.
According to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which issued the report through the APO Group, the event forms part of MICEGA’s broader peacebuilding strategy. The initiative reflects the mission’s emphasis on fostering dialogue, mutual support, and understanding between deployed troops and local communities.
Through such acts of solidarity, GHANCOY 9 continues to demonstrate that peacekeeping goes beyond security—it also involves building trust and supporting development where it is most needed.
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