The Department of Information Services under the Ministry of Information and Communication Infrastructure has organised a Message Testing Workshop held at the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) in Kanifing.
Well attended by communication experts from various stakeholder institutions, the two-day workshop is meant to review and test the messages developed for the upcoming public information campaign for the new Gambia Social Registry (GAMSR) project. The GAMSR is part of the Gambia’s National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) aimed at storing, analysing and categorising the population’s demographic and socio-economic information to inform programming and support policy development and reforms. Authorities say it serves as an entry point for less fortunate and vulnerable individuals or populations to potentially be included in, and benefit from social protection programmes once they register – by allowing development partners and other interest groups to readily identify them.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Pa Modou Chayassin Fall, the Executive Director of the National Nutrition Agency, fiduciary and implementing partner of the project, said the GAMSR takes a multi-sectoral implementation process and this message development and testing exercise is the first activity since the signing of the GAMSR project; hence the stepping-stone for the subsequent actors and activities. Therefore, Fall said is a collective responsibility and admonished for the team to do justice to the work. You must try your best to do the right thing for you awe it to the 2 million Gambians,” he said, reminding that the messages would be translated into the local languages.
The Executive Director warned that this can be a hectic and delicate exercise; hence it requires thorough scrutiny. He however expressed confidence that the right work will be done.
Mr Ebrima Njie, the Deputy Director of the Department of Information Services expressed delight for the impressive attendance and hope that justice will be done to the task at hand.
He affirmed that the exercise is about fine-tuning and testing appropriateness of the messages developed and preparation for the upcoming public information campaign.
