By Isatou Sarr
Hon Yankuba Darboe, the Chairman for Brikama Area Council (BAC) Wednesday, 25 September 2024, officially launched the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the upcoming National Youth Conference Festival (NAYCONF). The launch of the LOC was held at the Brikama Area Council Secretariat in Brikama
NAYCONF is a biennial event that aims at bringing young people from all over the country and beyond to share their experience and discuss on issues that affect their lives.
“Though this is my first encounter as Chairman with such an event” Darboe noted. Adding that it is an opportunity that he is grateful to witness and be associated with.
Further stressing that ‘’the National Youth Conference Festival (NAYCONF) is an opportunity for all those holding public office to hear from the future leaders, especially the Youths and children’’.
The Chairman harped on the theme of this year’s NAYCONF, ‘The Role of Young People in Maintenance of Peace and Security for the Socio-Economic Development of The Gambia is a just topic considering the time we live in.
‘’This is an important subject to discuss, share, learn and develop solutions’’ he said.
“With that objective in mind, we are hungry and thirsty and I do not doubt that we can deliver and yes we can”. Hon Yankuba Darboe told members of the Local Organizing Committee for the NAYCONF.
Binta Senghor, The Youth representative for BAC,’’ the formation of this committee brings together young leaders, visionaries and change-makers from all corners of our community together, we represent innovation, creativity and the unwavering spirit of youth and that has the power to transform our society’’ she emphasized.
She maintained that NAYCONF 2024 would be more than just a gathering, ” it will be a platform for voices to be heard, ideas to be shared and solutions to be developed” she said. Also, adding that’’ it will be an inclusive space where we can confront the challenges we face as a generation from climate change, social education reform and mental health awareness’’.
Lamin Sanneh the Regional Youth Coordinator, West Coast Region highlighted on the objectives of National Youth Conference Festival (NAYCONF) which according to him aims at creating necessary awareness of the risk associated with irregular migration of our youth and alternative opportunities available for young people in the country, inspire inter-generational dialogue on FGM/ C and Child Marriage.
He advised leaders to galvanize the political will needed to appoint young people to cabinet and other top positions in government and also to produce a Youth Position Paper on the Role of Young People in Enhancing Youth Participation in the Attainment of the RF-NDP 2023- 2027 for the Socio-Economic Development of the country.
