The National Council of the Gambia Young Men Christian Association (YMCA), recently concluded a 3 day training of young people on advocacy skills and techniques, under the Big Lottery Funded (BLF) project in Life Skills and Enterprise development, at their office in Kanifing.

Speaking at the program, Mr. Sam B. Thorpe, the Director Gambia YMCA, said the YMCA is resolved to promote youth employment and its corresponding challenges. He added that youth employment, through vocational life skills, is a key component in the socio-economic development of young people and a huge challenge that can only be achieved through consolidated partnership and collaboration.
Mr. Thorpe stressed that despite the magnitude of efforts invested in addressing youth unemployment, there still exist some pockets of untouched interventions. He further said that the Gambia YMCAs is committed to support government through the economic development of young people.
The YMCA Director noted that young people need to be engaged in potential activities for the realization of their full potentials and the Board will endeavor to create programs and activities that are geared towards harnessing the full potential of young people.
Also speaking, Mr. Mam Mbanyick Njie, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Youth and Sports, said training, job experience, good education and commitment from young people are factors that hinder the job opportunities of young people. Mr. Njie added that partnership building is very crucial in making a lasting impact on the development of young people. He further said that the Gambia YMCA has been recognised as an institution whose sole responsibility is to empower the young people of the country.
The Youth and Sports Permanent.Secretary noted that the youths should be empowered to take charge and be masters of their own destiny. He dwelled on illegal migration and urged the youth to take up skills and learn technical trade. He said a platform for dialogue needs to be created for young people and further challenged the policy makers to support the youths.
The Youth Advocate, Ms. Sira Darboe, said that despite the strides taken and opportunities created, youth unemployment is in the increase, adolescent girls are being harassed and abused, child labour and underpaid youth employment continue to exist. She added that there should be an all-inclusive approach in supporting young people and that would involve them in the planning process.
Ms. Darboe further appealed on behalf of her colleagues for the creation of youth employment opportunities, fair wages and fair treatment. She concluded that youth should be empowered as citizens with a duty and voice.
Speaking at a press briefing held after the program, the project coordinator of the Gambia YMCA, Mr. Joseph Peacock, said that the BLF is a four year project with the objective of training young people in skills of their choice and advocacy skills and techniques. He said the project started in 2008 and that 1190 young people have been trained under the project in the Greater Banjul Area, Western Region, Upper River region and Central River join together with North Bank Region.
Mr. Peacock added that 48 young people from the 2008 batch have set up micro businesses with loans from YMCA. He said the training is free of charge and young people are given loans after completing the training to set up businesses in the form of capital and material loan and that 50% of the material cost is given as material gift. He noted that the YMCA outsourced the training to business operators and deploy field officers to monitor the students and send reports to the office. Mr. Peacock further said the training is for all young people, especially the marginalized and disadvantaged. He said the YMCA, through funding from GAMJOBS and UNDP, has set up as national Youth Job Centre where young people will file in applications and the YMCA will facilitate employment for them. He added that the Job Centre will also help young people to develop interview techniques since it is recognized that some young people fail to get employed not because they lack qualifications but because they don’t have interview skills to handle interviews.