By Binta Jaiteh
At least twenty-eight Girls have recently graduated from Health and Livelihood Empowerment Initiative Project funded by the MSDG Diaspora Development Fund in partnership with sponsor the Gambian Girl Foundation.
During the graduation ceremony held at YMCA, Priscilla HD Dunn expressed delight as a proud founder and mentor.
She said they stand in the lives of 30 young ladies including an awesome young lady living with a disability, through the provision of 4 different livelihood skills training – soap making, tie, and dye, handmade crafts, and food processing, while they also got the opportunity to be mentored.
Also, by phenomenal mentors, in the areas of sexual and reproductive health, entrepreneurship, self-esteem, confidence building, and financial education. “And today 28 of them stayed committed and dedicated to ensuring that they achieve the very best of this opportunity presented to them,” he noted.
She said it had been challenging for some of them yet they persevered to make sure their future is secured.
Girls for the Future Foundation exists for opportunities such as these as is in line with “our mission of mentoring and empowering young women and girls ages 13 to 25 by providing opportunities and grown experiences that could enable them to become independent and responsible.”
Ramatoulie Kadam Entrepreneur and founder of Girls for the Future likewise said as young girls they should believe in themselves and also believe in what they can do.
She added that whatever they are doing in life the passion should be there to move forward.
Pa Musa Sidibeh, an Associate Director of GK Partners said the importation data has revealed that the Gambia imports a lot, and “we expect that your effort will not stop here but to become an entrepreneur and train other people. I congratulate all the graduates and if you need any support kindly reach out to us and we will assist.”
Yaye Deco, a graduate said the institution has invested in them in these four months they did not only help to empower the girls economically but it is one of the fastest ways to reduce global poverty.
She said when girls are educated, healthy, and empowered it makes issues easier “I enjoyed the training likewise my colleagues.”