By: Mariama Njie
The Ministry of Youth and Sports on Thursday August 26 validated the Gambia Songhai Initiative (GSI) Tracer study report held at the President International Awards in Bakau.
The project aims to puts emphasis on youth employment and agricultural transformation through value addition and sustainable practices.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Kebba Lang Camara, General Service Manager of GSI said GSI is a technical vocational Education and training (TVET) imitative replicated from the Songhai model in Benin. The Songhai model is a highly successful agro-industrial organic and self-sufficient.
“The area of studies such as poultry production, crop production and animal production is designed to sustainably reduce unemployment, poverty and food insecurity through teaching agribusiness, entrepreneurship, management and self-reliance,” he said.
Mr. Camara added: “the tracer study aims to track GSI alumni who completed their training from 2015 – 2019 to access the effectiveness of their training in security employment.”
He also stated that this institution has registered lot of achievement from 2015- 2018, saying over 200 people had graduated but their greatest challenge is capital to start-up a business.
The Lamin Camara Deputy Permanent Secretary MOYS, said youths should be involved and ensure that they are deriving a decent livelihood resulting to the setting up the Songhai initiative.
“Youths are not only youths of today but leaders of Tomorrow as well,” he noted.
Abdou Touray, Representative of United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) said: ‘’we supported the government call, to support youth training at Charmen. The whole training is one year, it started in 2015.
According to him, 29 Gambian youths have graduated successfully from 6-month training in Benin and returned to the Gambia to transfer their skills as facilitators, through the establishment of a mother farm in chamen, NBR, five technicians from Benin initially oversaw the GSI campus.
Fatim Badjie Sinyan, Chief Executive Officer of ACE Communication do a team presentation on the GSI, according to the team identification of valid graduates’ phone numbers and address was the main challenge of the data collection exercise as it prolongs the study.
They also stated that 45% of the alumni said ‘’they don’t have employment because they lack networks to connect their jobs.
“The team also said 40% of the respondent gained employment straight after their graduation, 25.4% gained employment between 1-3 months after graduation, 20.1% got employed within 4-12 months after graduation and 3.6% gained employment after waiting for more than 1 year,” she revealed.