By: Mama A. Touray
The Media Academy for Journalism and Communication (MAJaC) and the Gambia Media Support (GAMES) on Monday launched a migration project dubbed Unlock Potentials to Combat Irregular Migration (UPCIM).
Unemployment, underemployment, and hopelessness have been identified as root causes of irregular migration and this project aims to help Gambian youth acquire media-related skills for employment and employment creation.
As part of the project, 48 youths would receive intensive nine-month training in film and photography, communication, and digital media production and management to better equip them with the necessary skills to start their own business or grab gainful employment.
Speaking at the launch of the project, the Managing Director of MAJaC, Sang Mendy, said MAJaC conceptualized the project due to the spike in the number of young Gambians who embarked on Backway journeys.
He pointed out that parents usually encourage their children to embark on these irregular journeys. The parents, he explained, sell livestock to fund their children’s journeys.
Mr. Mendy said The Gambia will continue to feature on the irregular migration index if attitudes remain unchanged.
“A recent survey released by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics reveals that 38.6% of Gambian youths are unemployed. There is also limited or no development in local communities to offer hope for the youth. This forces youth in those areas to move out in search of better recreational facilities, education, and employment opportunities, which their local communities couldn’t offer them,” he explained.
The Manager of the GAMES Project, Marianne Frederiksen, expressed hope that the projectwould make “a little change” in the lives of some young Gambians and that the partnership will leave MAJAC capacitated to be even more successful as a relevant training academy.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Employment, Ismaila Danso, stated that the Government recognizes the importance of migration and the contribution of the diaspora population to the national development as evidenced in the volume of remittances to the country. He, however, added that the Government equally recognizes the issue of irregular migration and the increasing number of young people who embark on those perilous journeys to reach the shores of Europe and the impact on families and communities.
“The issue of migration has been given special attention in the new RF NDP 2023 – 2027. Section 4.6 of Strategic Pillar 4 of the new NDP highlights the significance of migration and maps out measures to enhance the contribution of migrants and Diasporas to national development and provision of consular protection, assistance, and cooperationthroughout the migration cycle and to manage our borders in an integrated, secure and coordinated manner,” said PS Danso.