By Yunus S Saliu
The National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) Monday, 30th November kicked start a weeklong Combating Covid-19 Impairment training in Barra community, North Bank Region.
The ongoing weeklong training which will end 5th December is funded by the German National Commission for UNESCO and German Foreign Ministry – implemented by the National Centre for Arts and Culture
The training designed for youths and community women under the theme “Combating Covid-19 Impairment at Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites in The Gambia through Skills Acquisition, Community Outreach and Peer Exchange” started in Juffureh and Albreda in October 2020.
Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of National Centre for Arts and Culture disclosed that the ongoing training which has brought together some selected young men and women of Barra community and its environs will cover different areas which include tour guiding, skill acquisitions in tie and dye, soap making, batik among others.
He noted that it will enable them to be fully armed in term of skills before the completion of the DK Jawara Resort which is under construction in Barra.
He continued that the training is also an added advantage for the youth of the communities especially community like Barra, hosting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He went on that most of these communities which are hosting the Heritage Sites in the like of Juffureh and Albreda villages, Wassu, Kerr Batch all depend on tourists “and coronavirus has brought standstill their efforts. So this project will help to elevate difficulties they are facing through skills acquisition.”
DG Ceesay expressed confidence that the youths of the communities will benefit greatly through the program because “the Sites (Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites) will continue to attract more tourists” especially with the construction of DK Jawara Resort, in Barra (under construction).
He also added that the NCAC, with the training, wants to make them ready so that they can benefit from all the Heritage Sites through tour guiding, as the Centre wants to use the Heritage resource in “these communities to give the youths hope to stay in their communities and earn a livelihood especially that craft market is part of the facilities in DK Jawara Resort, where tourists can buy souvenir.”
However, the Director General thanked German National Commission for UNESCO and German Foreign Ministry for funding the project.
Adama Jatta, one of the trainers expressed her satisfaction over the trainees both those at Juffureh and Albreda and those undergoing the present training in Barra.
She said they need more encouragement to enable them take the skills acquired as a life career rather than mouth saying.
She thanked the NCAC for opportunity given to participants to participate in the training program. She went further to applaud the sponsored most especially NCAC for encouraging more women to participate in the program.
Some of the trainees expressed their joy over the program saying it is first of its kinds in the community as NCAC gave them opportunity to be part.