14 young people from the Kambeng Kafoo Drama Society in Gunjur were recently trained on broadcasting ethics. Speaking on the occasion of the training, the managing director of Gunjur Radio - Janneh Kato FM, Mr. Modou Touray, said that the training was very important and would apply to the trainees not only in broadcasting but in other areas of their lives as well. He used the opportunity to call on others to emulate these young ambitious Gambians. He also advised the participants to make the best use of the knowledge gained at the workshop.

Speaking to The Point after the workshop, the president of Kambeng Kafoo Drama Society, Mr. Yusu Pa Saidy, called on the young people to join the society. He said that as youths they have to engage with many things to move the country forward.

Babacarr Camara, the secretary of the society, appealed to the public to support them in their work as many drama societies start up but fail soon afterwards.

Fatima Bojang said that there are plenty of talented young actors in The Gambia just like anywhere else but that funding is a major constraint. She called on both the president and other philanthropists to help the group financially. Anyone wishing to sponsor the group can contact 4486025 or 7244185.

Following thrilling quarterfinals in the 2008 Bakau Nawettan League Championship, four teams have now booked their places in the semi-finals, to be play this coming weekend at the Seaview football pitch at Bakau. The Bakau Youths and Sports Development Association sponsors the tournament. The four semi-finalists are Lingure F.C, Seaview F.C, Ron Mango F.C and Late FM F.C.

Ron Mango F.C will clash with Late FM F, C in the first semi-final, on the 1st of November 2008 and the second semi will be between Linguere F.C and Seaview F.C.

However, in the quarterfinals, Ron Mango F.C booked their ticket to the semi’s after they defeated Bantang Koto F.C 1-0. Late FM F.C made it to the semi’s with a 2-1 win over Julanguere. In the other quarterfinals Linguere F.C earned a hard fought win over Saul Samba F.C by 2 goals to 1. Seaview completed the quartet by thrashing Julanguere F.C 3-0.

Senior Magistrate Kayode Olajubutu of the Brikama Magistrates Court is expected to hand down his judgement on four youths next Monday, 27 October, after  pleading guilty to a charge of unlawful charcoal burning, contrary to section 109  of the Forest Act of The Gambia.

The four, Alpha Leigh, Basiru Jammeh, Mutarr Jallow and Momodou Jallow were reported to have been found burning charcoal in Madina Forest, Western Region, without authority.

Narrating the facts of the case, the police prosecutor, Cpl 81 Kinteh told the court that the four were caught by one Ebrima Sambou and Ebrima Cham .

He said the four were found with cutlasses, spades and axes.

In his statement, Magistrate Olajubutu told the four that he had heard the facts stated by the prosecution and that it was the convicts themselves who had pleaded guilty to the offence. “I will therefore adjourn the case to Monday October 27th for you to take your pleas of mitigation,” she concluded.

Twenty-two youths that were arraigned at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court on charges of common nuisance were on Monday 20th October 2008 cautioned and discharged.

They denied the charges when they were first arraigned on the 16th October but the trial magistrate, Abdoulie Mbackeh, remanded them in to custody until last Monday when the case resumed.

Magistrate Mbackeh advanced that the government wants to see that peace and tranquillity prevail in the country as well as the crime rate is reduced.

According to the particulars of the offence, the accused persons caused common nuisance at diverse places.

The community of Madina Lamin Kanteh in Niani District, CRR North, on Saturday, October 11, embarked on Tesito rehabilitation of a two kilometer road.  The road links them with many villages around the area.

The deputy governor of the region, Lamin Darboe, thanked them for their good work, noting that patriotic citizens always participate in national development.  He urged them to further strengthen their unity and cooperation without which they cannot achieve development.  He said the government cannot do everything alone, so patriotic citizens should come up and help.

The Seyfo of the district, Pierre Bah, spoke on the importance of communal work, noting that communal work is part of our traditional and cultural values and urged them to strengthen it for the betterment of the district.  He called on the community of the village to strengthen their unflinching support for President Jammeh.

The Alkalo of the village, Faburama Kanteh, commended the Kuntaur Area Council for providing them with fuel and appealed for more in order to complete the work.  He hailed the efforts of the village youths for their hard work and dedication.

Among the speakers were Aja Seya Sillah, women president, and Bolong Drammeh, youth leader.

Mr Safiyoung Manneh, proprietor of African Art Spice and Screen Printing, located in Jeshwang, Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), recently spoke to the Arts and Culture desk about his artistic training programme in Canada, his early  days in the world of arts, and his art workshop in Jeshwang.

Mr Safiyoung Manneh was speaking at his Jeswang arts workshop. According to him, he strongly believes in the spirit of hard work. He reiterated the fact that hard work pays, and that  it is only through hard work that we can develop The Gambia, Africa and the world at large. People must be seen to be hard working and loyal to their country, by working hard legally and paying tax  to their country of origin  in order to achieve the much needed socio-economic, human and political development of their country.
 
The Gambian-born artist, who  hails from Basse  in the Upper River Region (URR) and trained at the renowned Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, Canada, revealed that he is currently training a number of young Gambians at his Jeshwang workshop and is impressed with their performances. Mr Safiyoung recalled started working in the world of arts at a very tender age, especially during his primary school days going on to his days at St Georges Secondary  School in Basse, where he was greatly inspired and encouraged by his art teachers and mentors leading to his subsequent transfer to  Banjul.

Mr Manneh further recalled opening a small workshop, where he was engaged in printing artifacts such as  T-shirts, posters, signboards  and a host of other artistic works. He revealed what he called a generous donation of US$300 to his art workshop by the Nova Scotia-Gambia Association. According to him, the said donation greatly helped him to improve on his work until he was sponsored by the same NSGA to study in Canada.

Mr Manneh finally seized the opportunity to call on Gambian youths to acquire skills and work hard for the development of the country.

A prominent Gambian businessman, Mr. Salifu S.K. Jaiteh, has recently challenged all Gambian youths to engage in productive skills and not only focus on the office. He noted that not everybody can work in an office but that gaining technical know how and working in a factory is also an option. He made his statements in an interview with The Point at his offices in Banjul.

He stated that young people should try and gain skills such as carpentry and welding as this will allow them to take the best advantage of the many opportunities that exist for them. He reminded the youth of today that The Gambia also needs police officers, teachers, farmers and builders so they should not strive exclusively to work in an office as not everyone can. Mr. Jaiteh expressed the belief that President Jammeh’s call to back to the land is a sure way to ensure food self-sufficiency. Commenting on the global food crisis he urged all people to work hard during the rainy season to ensure food security and also alleviate poverty. He described the increasing price of rice as a global phenomenon and said that it has hit Senegal even more than The Gambia.

He advised people to be merciful to each other as God shows mercy to mankind.

Also present at the interview was the director of NAWFA, Mr. Njaga Jawo, who also spoke on the issue of increasing commodity prices in the market especially during this holy month of Ramadan.

These days we often hear about a few Gambians here and there venturing into areas formally left on explored.

For instance, the 'back-to-the-land' call made by President Jammeh is increasingly gaining momentum, especially among people in the government circles. However, what has not been commonly heard of is the participation of the youth in the area of agriculture. But one such person that is out to change that outlook is Abubacarr Demba.
 
A youth in his mid twenties, Mr Demba hails from Mandina, a village in Kiang West (LRR). Currently totally engrossed with his work as a farmer, this young man matched into the offices of the Daily Observer the other day, to raise concern about the menace of bush fire.

'Every year,' he said, 'people set fire deliberately and it is becoming a concern to me as I an environmentalist.' His aim, he said, is to set up a green belt rather than to destroy nature.

Demba wants government to look in to the issue of bushfire, arguing that nature needed to be protected. He further argued that there was a ‘sycronized cordination between nature and the patterns of climate change,’ noting that if government could pass a law restricting the activities of people who deliberately commit this act of burning the natural forest, it would build on the income generating capacity of the low income earners, as well as partly solving the debate surrounding Global warming.

'Apart from women getting in to the forest and collecting natural foodstuffs  for sale in the local market, a great chunk of the rural folks derive their food from the forest directly. Setting fire on our bushes will greatly affect domestic animals who, in fact, suffered most. Besides, all this affect the health of the people and contribute to global warming as well,' Demba argues.

For him when trees are burnt down, the aftermath is excess heat, which has extensive implications. Government, he said, can look in to these issues; 'our legislatures need to work a lot in the parliament to ensuring the prevention of these happenings.'

Mr Demba also finds it puzzling as to why people burn down the bush, and in his continued quest to know, the responses he often come by leave him even more perplexed. While some would point at traditional belief trend, either because their parents or some relation had done so, some time ago; for others it appears as total ignorance.

Here he told youth matters why he decided to take to the land. ‘In 2002, I decided to go back to the land as a youth, to set an example.’ What is so significant about that land mark decision of this young man is that he decided to retire home despite the fact that he is a professional in so many skills; artswork, painting and drafting designs, as well as carpentry, yet non of these profession would demand as much wealth in that part of the country as they would here in the urban set up.

As a victim of babylon syndrome, which had taken him away for four (4) solid years, the impact of his experience would not allow him to keep a low profile.

On his return home, his only task was to join effort in answering to the president's call of going back to the land, as a way of dissuading his comtemporaries. 'My father is from the village in Kiang; despite not been born or brought up there, I still feel proud to be working there as a farmer. And I feel even more proud that I am cultivating what I can use to feedmyself', he lamented.

Demba is quite aware of the fact that youths of his age nowadays would not like any one to tell them about staying put in the country but, he argues, they contribute less in their homes, 'as they live from hand to month and, in most cases, entirely dependent on other people.'
And he went on,'The land is in abundance; when you dig the soil, you work hard, you will gain something.' 

He hailed President Jammeh for his worthwhile demonstration of ‘leadeship by example. My advice for those that are burning the bush is that they stop it now in one way or the other,' he acknowledge that some of them might be ignorant of it, but that if we start telling about it now, sensitising the people about the dangers, it might make the difference. 'In fact, if you burn the bush it affect your yield, as the vegetation influence rainfall,' he concludes.