By Nelson Manneh
The Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations donated cash amounts to twenty-five people who are themselves, victims of rights violations during the Jammeh regime. The handing over ceremony of these Checks took place on Tuesday February 5th 2019, at the Victims Centers’ main office in Senegambia. Those victims whose children are in Primary School, were given Three thousand dalasi (D3,000) each; those in Secondary School were given Four thousand dalasi (D4,000) each and those at tertiary institutions were each given Five thousand dalasi (D5,000).
Ida EK, the Chairperson of the Needy Committee at the center, said their plans as a committee is to support the children of the victims by buying learning materials for the children.
“Next year we want to make sure we help the victims’ children by giving them some of the basic materials they may need in School,” she said.
Sambou Fatty, one of the victims, who was sentenced for five years at Mile II Prisons, said the Center is helping them to make ends meet; that as victims they need support in order to nurse their families; that some people have been victimized without doing anything to the former regime.
“I was jailed without doing anything. I was just regarded as an opposition to the former APRC Government and I was put to jail. Today I thank God that I am still alive because some people who were imprisoned with us, died,” he said. Fatty said the token amount given to him, will go a long way in helping them with their basic needs.
Officials from the TRRC who attended the ceremony, call on the victims to visit the Truth Commission and give their statements, and if possible, to testify.
