By Kebba AF Touray
The Community of Sutukoba in the Wuli East District of the Upper River Region has embarked on a massive cleansing exercise during the weekend of the 5 of October 2024. The initiative, jointly organized by Touray Sita FC, ME Sport News and the villagers, was meant to protect, promote and enhance the well-being and health status of villagers and everyone who resides within.
Muhammed Lamin Jaiteh of ME Sport News said the initiative was born out of the realization that at this moment of the rainy season, grass grows spontaneously everywhere, and most places remain unkempt which creates breeding ground for disease carrying vectors such as mosquitoes.
Jaiten said this exposes many to the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes and other insects that breed in these places, making them vulnerable to diseases such as malaria.
Being a media platform, Jaiteh said the initial plan was to collaborate with all the football teams of the village to conduct the exercise. He, however, said that due to the overgrown grass and bushy environment, “we decided not to further delay the exercise.”
Foday Jabai, the PRO of Sutukoba FC in the Diaspora, said that apart from enhancing the health status of villagers, the initiative would also contribute to avert incidents of fire outbreaks.
He said the tendency of fire outbreak is higher within a bushy environment, but said when the environment is clean such unintended incidents can be prevented.
Mr. Jabai, who also doubles as owner of Hamang FC, called on the villagers, especially the youth, to venture in such meaningful exercises that are critical for the development of the village.
Kebba Yaafa, owner of Nemakolong FC, said they have inherited the joint exercise from their forebears, with the objective of protecting the village against flies and other health threats to the villagers.
“When bushes grow wildly around houses and residential domiciles, it will expose villagers to flies and reptiles such as mosquitoes and snakes, thus exposing them to and potential health threats and risks,” Mr. Yaffa said.
He added that the exercise will enhance the health status of villagers, and will assist in keeping those flies and reptiles at bay.
“With health, the acquisition of knowledge and wealth is guaranteed, because the primary focus of every sick person is how to regain normal health and well-being and status,” Mr. Yaafa added.
While urging the young people of the village to remain united, he assured that such an initiative would be sustained as an annual event in the village.
Abdoulie Touray, owner of Touray Sita FC, said it is their responsibility as natives of the village to bequeath a prosperous village to future generations, because they owe it to them.
“One way of ensuring this, is to ensure a healthy community with a healthy population for us and generations yet unborn. Another benefit of the exercise is to protect the community from the threats of snakes because the reptiles will have nowhere to hide or live within the village,” he reiterated.
The exercise, Mr. Touray added, will also encourage satellite villages to emulate Sutukoba villagers to conduct such initiatives in their respective villages, to nurture, ensure, and maintain good health and well-being for all. He heaped praises on the villagers both young and old, for turning out in their numbers to participate in the “set-setal” which he said demonstrates the firm interest and commitment of the community in guaranteeing and enhancing their own health status.
Madi Jatta, the Chairperson of Sutukoba Village Development Committee (VDC), said the exercise will boost and strengthen the health of villagers and will protect them against the harmful effects of snakes and scorpions. Chairperson Jatta said cleanliness is next to Godliness and said the exercise will also enhance the religious practice of the faithful, because cleanliness is a significant and key component of Islam.
Mr. Jatta expressed gratitude to the villagers and urged the young people to tighten their belts and take leading roles in moving the village forward.
“Let us see each other as people from the same parents, and unite and join hands in pursuit of the development of our village, which cannot be attained in the presence of disunity,” Mr. Jatta concluded.
