Gambia: ‘Media Run Challenge’ celebrates 2-year anniversary
By ALIMATOU S. BAJINKA
The Gambia media celebrates 2-year anniversary of the ‘Media Run Challenge’ on Saturday, June 11 at the Traffic Lights, Kairaba Avenue, Fajara in the Kanifing Municipality.
The run is a fitness initiative meant to unite media personnel in The Gambia through physical exercise and to stay healthy.
The celebration began with a run from Westfield to Traffic Lights, followed by a symposium to commemorate two years of existence since its inception in June 2020.
It is a physical exercise, which is done every last Saturday of the month.
In attendance was Muhammed S. Bah, President of The Gambia Press Union (GPU) who he unveiled what prompted the media run Challenge.
“The financial hurdle that journalists encounter in pursuing their careers is what prompted the senior media practitioners to set up a campaign to raise fund to support media development in The Gambia, which has now gain momentum and the campaign is call the media run challenge,” said Muhammed S. Bah, GPU President.
“Some people are passionate about journalism but do not have the financial muscle to pursue their professional training. The few that gain admission at MAJaC and the University of The Gambia struggle to pay their tuition fees because they are not financially supported,” GPU President lamented.”
The Minister of Information, Lamin Queen Jammeh, acknowledged the work of the media and described it as critical in a democracy.
“I want to inform all the actors in the media that the State is aware of your work; the state appreciate what you are doing. Under the current dispensation of democracy headed by President Adama Barrow, the media should be given an enabling environment to operate,” Minister Jammeh said.
Jankey Ceesay, a journalist at The Point newspaper said, the media run is the only time she has to exercise and all other days are workdays for her.
“The media run is very crucial to me, as it is the only time when I and many of my colleagues would leave the office, it’s all work and no exercise, which is very detrimental to our health. But since the commencements of the media run challenge, I have been attending and the experience is great both physically and mentally, am grateful for its existence,” said Miss Ceesay.
“The Media Run Challenge, aside from fostering relations among media workers in The Gambia, is also designed for support, providing sponsorship for less privileged students confronting financial difficulties in pursuing their career in journalism,” said Ndey Ceesay, a journalist and one of the organisers of the run challenge.
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