Fatoumatta Bah- Barrow, First Lady of The Gambia and Founder of the FABB Foundation
presenting some donated items to officials
The attention of the Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow Foundation (“the FaBB Foundation”) has been drawn to an article published by The Republic on July 3, 2024, entitled ‘Medical items donated to health ministry “auctioned to FaBB” for less than 1% of the value’. The FaBB Foundation wishes to clarify that in August 2023, a benevolent donor purchased and donated a 40 ft container of essential medical supplies through an auction conducted by the Gambia Revenue Authority.
In line with the FaBB Foundation’s commitment to support impoverished communities, disadvantaged women, youth, children and vulnerable groups; and under the auspices of a Memorandum of Understanding between the FaBB Foundation and the Ministry of Health, the said container was donated to the Central Medical Stores on 29th September 2023, for onward distribution to health facilities across the country. The donation was received on behalf of the Ministry of Health by Mr. Babanding Sabally, former Director of National Pharmaceutical Service (NPS) and now Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, alongside senior logistics officer, Mrs. Sosseh Badjie.
In the light of this information, we urge the author of the said article to verify this information and effect a corrigendum on the said article. The FaBB Foundation will provide the necessary assistance to verify this information.
It is important to note that the FaBB Foundation has, on many occasions, received similar donations from donors all over the world, and the Ministry of Health has been the major recipient of these donations.
The FaBB Foundation is committed in complementing government’s efforts in addressing critical health and social welfare issues in The Gambia and we continue to solicit the support of the general public and partners across the world in our drive to improve the nation’s healthcare challenges.