By: Haruna Kuyateh
The Rural Development Organization (RDO) and Holistic Agribusiness Solution of Balingho in the North Bank Region, with support from its partner organization, the Sabab Luo Foundation of Germany, held its 4th batch graduation on Saturday for 39 students who completed 2 years of training in intensive integrated agriculture. The center was established in 2019 for a dual agricultural training program with a 2-year curriculum for youths and migrant returnees. The training focused on horticulture, animal husbandry, food processing, and entrepreneurship, designed to meet the evolving market and community needs for the trainees.
The 39 graduating students (23 females and 16 males) were awarded certificates in different disciplines.
Momodou Y. Bah, Chief Executive Officer of Rural Development Organization RDO and Holistic Agribusiness Solution, said that achieving a 4th batch of graduates was a significant milestone due to the hard work, dedication, determination, resilience, and shared vision of a brighter future for sustainable agribusiness by both his organization and the students.
Mr. Bah noted that the founding vision of Rural Development Organization RDO is to empower rural communities through sustainable agriculture and training initiatives, also thanking Sabab Luo Foundation for their unwavering commitment, professional knowledge, and skills transfer.
Chief Mustapha Dibba of Upper Badibou praised the Founder and Chairman of Sabab Luo Foundation for their unwavering support for youth development, noting that the Center’s training will help contribute to sustainable agriculture that enhances climate resilience. He assured all of his district authority’s support and urged the graduates to optimize the skills and knowledge they have acquired.
Dr. Friedrich Keller Bauer, Chairman, and Founder of Sabab Luo Foundation, thanked the lecturers, instructors, and students for their commitment and hard work towards the realization of set objectives. He also called on the government to support the center through subvention, construct a linkage road between Farafenni and Balingho to ease the transportation of farm produce, and expand electricity to enable the center to connect to the national grid.
Governor Lamin Saidykhan thanked Holistic Agribusiness Solution and partners for complementing government efforts in providing much-needed support to youths and migrant returnees. He noted that the skills learned would contribute to creating employment opportunities and transforming communities, as agriculture is about cultivating opportunities and transforming society. Governor Saidykhan emphasized President Adama Barrow and his government’s commitment to food security, stressing that the skills learned by students of the center will contribute to improving food self-sufficiency objectives of the government.
German Ambassador to the Gambia, Klaus Botzet, the Guest Speaker of the occasion, reiterated Germany’s commitment to supporting the government in skills acquisition and employment creation. He noted that the training emphasized business plan development and agribusiness entrepreneurship, skills crucial in harnessing the potentials in our youths.
Alagie Nyagado, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, underscored the Ministry’s resolve in supporting youths to enhance their potential in agriculture. He said the government and partners are providing matching grants to youths as part of promoting agribusiness opportunities and called on youths to be steadfast and focus on production and productivity.
Lamin Sima, Regional Youths Coordinator, deputizing for the Youth Minister, described the contribution of Holistic Agribusiness Solution to empower youths as crucial, as it will help reposition them to effectively contribute to national development.
