Introduction:
They are everywhere in The Gambia, most often caught napping as
they travel around town tied to their mother’s back. A birth in
The Gambia is cause for celebration and congratulations; about
seven days after a baby comes into the world, his/her parents
will host a lavish naming ceremony, a big party to celebrate the
assignment of a baby’s nomenclature.
Since babies of both sexes look similar, you might finds it hard
to know if you are looking at a male or female, since boys are
just as likely to wear pink as the ladies are. One trick is to
check the child’s earlobes—girls’ ears are usually pierced when
they are very young; if earrings have not been inserted, you will
most likely notice string threaded through the lobes. If no holes
are present, you can probably assume it’s a boy.
Facts & Figures:
Traditional beliefs and practices influence the way a mother feeds
her infant in the Gambia. Exclusive breastfeeding for any duration
is one component of optimal breast-feeding that Gambian mothers
find difficult to practice. Thus, community participation is one
of the strategies intended to promote exclusive infant breastfeeding.
In this regard, a pilot project, entitled The Baby-friendly Community
Initiative (BFCI), was organized in the 12 rural communities of
the Gambia.
The project was based on the global UN International Children's
Emergency Fund / WHO Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative. Differences
are noted to have occurred between community initiative and hospital
initiative in two major areas. These include the changing of the
hospital initiatives' '10 steps to successful breastfeeding' into
'10 steps to successful infant feeding'. Secondly, the traditional
mother-to-mother support groups were adapted to 'village support
groups on infant feeding'.
In its sixth year of implementation, the BFCI contributed to the
increase in national average of exclusive breast-feeding from
17.4% in 1998 to 35% in 2000. Lastly, the communities' perceived
benefits of the project went beyond its impact on breastfeeding
practices to include cleaner environment, fewer mosquitoes, healthier
infants and pregnant women.
Africa Health, 2001
 One
of the most important recent developments in child health is a
tracking system that records a baby's health on a blue infant-welfare
card. UNICEF has just spent $10,000
on new cards to make sure there are enough for all children.
There also has been a strong push to educate women about HIV and
how they can protect themselves and their children. Testing is
offered, as well as counselling and medication if needed.
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Culture & Traditions Children
Naming Ceremonies 
