By: Nyima Sillah
At least 76 students, Saturday, Graduated at the Gambia Songhai Initiative (GSI) center during the 8th graduation ceremony of the school held at the Gambia Songhai Initiative Center, Farafeni.
The graduated students recently completed their one year study training on agriculture program at the center.
The Training project was designed to empower youth on the growing need of transforming the agricultural sector into a productive, efficient, sustainable and remunerative enterprise for youth in generating products.
Speaking at the graduation, Minister of Youth and Sports Honorable Bakary Badgie said: Songhai development model is to create rural cities to stem down rural migration through an integrated agriculture linked to industrialization and service provision.
“It is our belief that as a Ministry, we will continue to work with all development partners to give hope to our youth and offer them economic and livelihood opportunities for them to stay and make it in The Gambia,”
He continued that “The Ministry has also invested over D1.5 million at the Kudam youth farm in Basse, URR and installed a proper pipe borne water system in order to have non-stop running water throughout the year,” the Minister disclosed.
Further to that, he said There is urgent need for other sectors in Government like the Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Trade to harmonise their respective activities to help GSI Project to generate maximum impact on the lives of Gambian Youth, while noting that the project has trained over 300 youth since its inception.
However, he highlighted that the centre is currently faced with serious constraints such as conference hall, staff quarters, more student dormitories, library, storage facilities, recreation centre, food processing, introduction of aquaculture (fish farming), rehabilitation of the centre road network system as well as fencing of the centre mass area of 256hectres for preservation, security and safety reasons.
But “the Ministry together with the government and its development partners are working to address some of the problems the centre has,” he assured.
GSI project would in the near future put in place a full-fledged project implementation unit to handle all management aspects of GSI including financial management, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting of program activities. This he said: is critical in safeguarding the operational independence of the GSI.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Honorable Amie Fabureh said Songhai Agriculture programme could not have come at a better time when many of the youth are venturing into dangerous journeys in search for a better livelihood.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports cannot do it alone, therefore I assure you that my Ministry will continue to strengthen our partnership and close collaboration to support the GSI project to generate maximum impact on the lives of Gambian Youth,” Minister Fabureh assured the centre.
She therefore called on all young people to come on board and maximise the numerous opportunities that the government of The Gambia together with its development partners continue to put at their disposal.
The Students Rep of the GSI expressed optimism that agriculture is the solution for the Gambia attainment of food sufficient, as a result more investments are needed in the agricultural sector to enable Gambian youth to venture into Agriculture.
He, therefore, on behalf of the students expressed gratitude to all their various supporters including the government and all the NGOs throughout their program.