By: Hadram Hydara
Sweden’s captain and Manchester United’s centre-back, Victor Lindelof, has expressed joy at the respect and hospitality being accorded to him in The Gambia as he and his wife continue their work with UNICEF in the country.
The defender is in The Gambia together with his wife, Maja Nilsson, on a charity mission as UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassadors to work with underprivileged children.
“I’m honoured to be here in The Gambia with UNICEF Sverige. During our days here Maja and I are going to experience and learn more about Unicef’s work for children across the country,” Lindelof said.
The couple first visited the St. Joseph Senior Secondary School, an all-girls school in Banjul, where they spoke to the girls about the different challenges they faced.
“Yesterday, we visited St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School to learn about many of the challenges and issues young girls in The Gambia face. It was so inspiring to speak to the girls there to learn about their stories.
“They are all showing amazing courage in speaking up about the issues and their missing rights. Thank you, Zita, Haja Jabbie, Ya Aisatou Badjie, Letitia Grante and everyone else for sharing your important stories and thoughts on being a young girl in The Gambia,” explained the ball-playing centre-back.
The philanthropic couple then proceeded to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH), the country’s biggest and main referral hospital. He said the visit to the hospital is one of the most touching experiences of his life.
“We also visited the EFSTH to learn more about the Maternity Ward, Inpatient Facility for malnourished children and Neo-Natal Ward. We had the opportunity to talk to mothers, doctors, nurses and UNICEF staff and learn more about UNICEF’s important contributions to the facility.
“As a father of two, that’s one of the most touching experiences in my life and something which makes me incredibly proud to be a UNICEF ambassador. It was amazing to see how the contributions and support of UNICEF are helping so many mothers and young children,” he said.
