Dr Ann Goddard, the global president of the Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) International, is currently in the country on a weeklong working visit.

The visit of the CCF boss, according to officials, aims at making a personal exploration of the activities and projects undertaken by the CCF national office and its affiliated programme areas.

Dr Goddard is also expected to visit the CCF national office in Senegal, before proceeding to other African countries.

In her meeting with the Kombo East Youth and Children Development Association (KEYCDA) and Kaira Nyining CCF Federation (KNF), last Thursday, at Kuloro Village, Kombo East, Dr Goddard said that the youth form the cadre in all development processes.

She expressed a thrill of joy about KEYCDA’s activities in preparing the young people of the district on child protection and youth empowerment issues. According to her, CCF wants to learn more about the needs of young people around the globe. She cited child trafficking as a horrific phenomenon, and put the youths to task in curbing the menace.

Alhagie Basiru Jarju, the chief of Kombo East, commended the CCF president for her visit, noting that Kaira Nyining Federation, since its inception, in collaboration with KEYCDA, has made great impact on the lives of the young people of his district.

Ousman Cham, CCF regional director for West and Central Africa said, “CCF is operating in thirty countries worldwide.” He added that all the CCF youth consultative meetings aim at is ensuring that its strategic choices are well exposed to the youths. Cham then commended KEYCDA and the people of Kombo East for their unity and urged them to be proactive in taking up the responsibilities bestowed on them by the people. He further disclosed that CCF is looking for funding for a regional youth network, which would give young people of different nationalities the opportunity to integrate and solve their problems together.

Mr Ebrima Sanneh, federation manager, Kaira Nyining CCF Federation in Kombo East, described the CCF president’s visit as symbolic, saying that it demonstrates the deep and selfless interest she and the entire CCF family have in the progress of the people, particularly the youth and children who, he said, are the bedrock of the country. According to Mr Sanneh, as a result of the assistance rendered by CCF, children, families and communities now have access to quality education, health care services, adequate and safe drinking water, improved housing conditions and increased employment as well as a host of income generating opportunities. “These have in no small measure impacted positively in reducing the severity of their poverty rate,” he added.

He then thanked Dr Goddard and her delegation for their visit to the Gambia. He also thanked the CCF Gambia national office for its continuous support to his federation, and the Gambia government for creating the enabling environment for CCF’s operations.

Presenting a report on behalf of Kombo East Youth and Children Development Association (KEYCDA), Omar Cham, the vice-chairperson of Kombo East Children Committee, mentioned numerous achievements registered by KEYCDA over the years, amongst which are the annual youth and children empowerment forum, record updating for Kaira Nyining Federation, letter writing training for the young people and summer classes for children.

He thanked the CCF top president for her visit and conveyed to her KEYDA’s preparedness to actively participate in the liberation of young people in The Gambia and beyond.

The ceremony was also attended by Mr Eustace Cassel, the national director of CCF Gambia, Momodou Jallow, the CCF area manager for Kombo East and Central, and Mr Falie Baldeh, the CCF national director in Liberia, and other important dignitaries.
 
Dr Goddard was accompanied by a high-ranking delegation from the United States, including Dr Sintia Brias, the director of CCF International Communications.

The European Commission and Christian Children’s Fund (CCF), recently convened a stakeholders meeting on the water and sanitary project for Western Region, which is aimed at enhancing the sustainability of a clean water supply and sanitary facilities for the people.

Speaking at the meeting, Eustace Cassell, the CCF national coordinator, said the project is meant to improve the health of the people of Western Region by ensuring access to safe-drinking water, thus reducing child mortality, as well as promoting gender equality and women's empowerment.

Edrisa Sanyang, the European Commission-CCF Water and Sanitary Project manager, noted that the project had registered numerous successes in the region, such as construction of wells, conducting of a base-line survey and training of hand pump technicians.

He urged the people of Western Region to take ownership of the project.Sheikh Omar Dibba, the project consultant, also expressed similar remarks.
 
For her part, Sainabou Faal, the deputy governor of Western Region, told the meeting that the project would go a long way in reducing some of the burdens of the people in the region, especially in the area of water management.

Madam Fall also expressed her office’s readiness to support projects that are meant to help the people of Western Region and The Gambia as a whole.
At the end of the two-day meeting in Brikama, certificates and working tools were presented to the trained pump technicians.

Kumba Barry-Bah, head of Sinchu Baliya Compin has said that the development of the villages constitute her first priority. As Yai Compin of Sinchu Baliya expressed her strong will to participate actively in the process of propeling the country into developmental orbit.

Madam Barry-Bah made this remark  recently during an exclusive interview with the Daily Observer. She revealed that a number of developmental projects have been implemented in the area through community participation. She also added that the numerous community enterprise schemes can also be of great benefit to villages and communities in Sinchu. This will help to make a great impact on the welfare of the villagers and the satelitte villages” she said.

Getting into her past experience, she recalled that in 1982, when the idea of a school was initiated, it was welcomed by the village development committee (VDC). According to her,  both women and men of Sinchu Baliya conducted a Tesito work geared towards the implementation of the project. ‘‘We were supported by Swedish philanthropists and the surrounding villages,’’ she indicated. In this regard,  she explained that Christian Children Fund (CCF) has been instrumental in achieving. “I am proud to say that today the school is one of the largest schools in the country, as the enrolment reached over 3000 pupils”  she disclosed.

She further noted that with the rapid expansion of the village, the community decided to initiate a market project so as to lift the burden from women’s shoulders.  Needless to say that the  materialization of this initiative has brought the market on the door step of the inhabitants.

In a similar vein, Mrs Bah went on to recall that in 1992 villagers also pioneered the idea of building a health centre. The initiative then got a genuine support from some Swedish philanthropists and also from the Department of State for Health that provided a team of nurses.

With a view to serve the community, Mrs Bah  decided to join the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), she deployed tremendous efforts in the sense of rallying support for the Gambian leader. According to her there are 12 (twelve) Yai compins in Sinchu Baliya, who are all supporting  President Yahya Jammeh and the APRC. ‘‘Our hope is to welcome one day President Jammeh in Sinchu Baliya,’’ she pointed out with considerable passion.

She seized the opportunity to  commend Amadou Bah, Alkalo of Sinchu Baliya for the prominent role he played in providing plots of land for developmental purposes. ‘‘The Village Development Committee chairman Yai compins and villagers who are behind all these achievements, deserve a big thank ’’ she said. “Unity is a strong weapon that can give weight to development,” she concluded.

Mr Ebrima Sanyang, co-ordinator of Kaira Nyining CCF program area in Kombo east, has called on the youths not to rely on Kaira Nyining as their only funding partner.

Delivering a topic on project proposal writing and funding, at a two day capacity building workshop on resource mobilisation and management for KEYCDA executive members, held at Kuloro, recently, Mr Sanyang called on the youths  to diversify their activities in implementing their programs. He further urged them to develop good morals and vision, saying that  many projects in The Gambia failed due to lack of substantial vision. He challenged them to embrace their responsibilities, warning that they must not do things just for formality sake.

 Mr sanyang also waxes on project financial planning, sustainable plan designing, project implementation and monitoring and project completion, among other topics.

The two-day workshop aimed at enhancing the capacity of young people to mobilise and raise their own funds for sustainability. It was also geared towards enabling the young people to develop their own project proposals for funding.

Speaking earlier on, Mr Lamin Darboe, co-ordinator of KEYCDA, urged the youths to work hard towards the attainment of their aims and objectives. He noted that the workshop would enable them to carry out their responsibilities in the service of the district as well as to capacities them on raising their own funds.

Lamin Bojang, secretary of Kombo East District sports association, challenged the youth to transform the information gained from the workshop into actions.

Other speakers included Lamin J Gassama, chairperson of Western Region youth committee, and Abdoulie Badjie from the National Association of Co-operative Credit Union of Gambia (NACCUG).

Mandinaba Youth and Sports Committee (MYSC) in Mandinaba Village, Kombo East, recently donated sporting gears to the Department of state for youth and sports at a ceremony held at Kafuta Village football ground in kombo East.

The donation was part of their contribution towards the upgrading and empowerment of sports in the country.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Kawsu Sanno, chairperson of Mandinaba youth and sports committee, said the gesture which included footballs, among others, was an extension by their donors in America, through Wings of the dawn international institute for children. He noted that the donation was his committee’s and mandinaba Village’s own contribution to the development of sports in The Gambia. Mr Sanno recalled that in March this year, his committee made similar donation to a youth group in the district. He then stressed the need for unity within the youths which he described as indispensable in development.

In receiving the donation, permanent secretary department of state for youth and sports Mam Banjik Njie commended mandinaba youth and sports committee for having the foresight to give donation to his department . He challenged them to maintain peace in their activities, citing that peace is the bedrock for any progressive development.

Permanent secretary Njie further  told the youths to be ready to take up their responsibilities, noting that they should not focus their attentions on only sports but on other areas as well. He added that there were several activities in which youths could venture into different from sports .

He then thanked the ( MYSC ) for their laudable gesture and assured them of his department’s willingness to find solutions to the problems of the youths.

Other speakers included Mr Ousman Bah, Wings of the dawn representative in The Gambia, Mr Momodou Jallow, CCF Kaira Nyining Area manager for Kombo East and Central.

The elders of the Kombo South community of Jambanjelly have called for a high degree of respect and discipline among young people. Theie call came at an inter-generational dialogue  staged as part of the Zone 1, Kombo South Youth Preparatorty training, ahead of the district youth congress. The event, organised by the National Youth Parliament and funded by the Kaira-Suu Program Area, CCF Affiliated, brought together 40 young people from Farato, Jambur, Jambanjelly, Sanyang, Tujereng, Tanjeh, Banyanka and Kunkujang Mariama.

Ba-Nuha Jammeh, the Alkalo of Jambabjelly, in his remark, noted that every human being who went without advice and guidiance from elders would findd it fficult to succeed.   Alkalo Jammeh hailed the National Youth Parliament and its leadership in the role they are playing in shaping the young people.

 Various elders of the community of Jambanjelly who took part in the dialogue, all stressed the need for young people to develop with respect and discipline. The idea of an intergenerational dialogue, the elders noted, is indeed noble and has to be strengthen and replicated across the country. "Young people, despite their education, should also support their development with the advice and wisdom of the elders," the elders noted.
 
Issues of Teenage Pregnancy and Drugs and Substance Abuse, were also raised as concerns by the elders of the coumminity. More youth to youth engagement is required to address the issues.

For his part, the speaker of the National Youth Parliament, Hon Lamin F Bojang, told the gathering that the National Youth Parliament was committed to the postive development of all young people. The NYP, he posited, aims at inculcating responsible citizenship in the minds and hearts of all gambian youths.

This, he went on, is the reason why the NYP, through partners, bring young people together to discuss and empower them to realise their potentials and ensure their own development without being drown in the process.

Speaker Bojang, expressed his organisation’s gratitute to the management and Board of Kaira-suu Program Area, CCF Affiliated, for their continues collaboration in the drive of promoting youth participation and empowerment. The dialogue was chaired by Hon Ousman Conteh, Program Officer, National Youth Parliament.

The National Youth Parliament in partnership with the Kaira-Suu Program Area, CCF Affiliated, will hold a two 3 day youth capacity building training for young people in Kombo South, in Preparation for the District Youth Congress.

The Zone one training which will take place in Jambanjelly, from Friday, 16th to 18th May 2008, will bring together youth representatives from Farato, Jambur, Jambanjelly, Sanyang, Tujereng, Tanjeh, Banyanka and Kunkujang Mariama. Whilst the Zone two training will be staged in Kartong from Friday, 30th May to Sunday 1st June 2008.

According to Hon Ousman Conteh, the Program Officer, National Youth Parliament, the joint program aims at enhancing the capacity of young people in the district in order to promote youth participation and integrations. The youth structure in the distirct, he said, is faced with the trouble of inadequate youth participation, so these programs will prepare them for effective youth leadership in the area.

The National Youth Parliament, he went on, has the vision of strengthening and encouraging the participation of young people in addressing socio-economic, political and cultural issues. This, he said, cannot happen without acquiring the required skills and knwoledge. He called on other institutions across the country to partner with youth institutions in helping to shape a proper destiny for the young people through their own involvement.

The Kombo South Trainiings, he continued, will focus on group facilitation skills and mobilsation; report writing; public speaking;  and communication Skills. Other areas to be covered include understanding gender, the national youth Act & the national youth policy, understanding child rights, understanding leadership, among a host of others.      

Hon.onteh, in conclusion, expressed appreciation with the CCF and the Kaira-suu Program Area for their continues support and partnership.

London Training Centre, LTC, will tomorrow host high-level guests at the graduation and award giving ceremony, on Saturday, at the Manjai Lodge in Manjai. The occasion will mark the successful completion of professional studies of a numbe of students, at  the centre.

According to reports, the graduation and awards ceremony is expected to be graced by, among others, senior government officials personalities in the insurance and banking industries as well as the media. Reports added that   the graduation ceremony will also enable LTC to give awards to those institutions and personalities that have contributed to the advancement of the education sector, as well as LTC.

Awards, the report added, will also be given to institutions that have contributed immensely towards the educational sector in The Gambia.  The institutions to receive awards include CCF and TAC-Nigeria.  Lectures on Information Technology and the Financial Sector will be delivered by the Managing Director of Access Bank, Mr Yomi Akapo, as part of the graduation ceremony”.

The London Training Centre is a professional training centre that is out to respond to the skills training as well as the labour needs of the country.

Six nursery schools within the Ding Ding Bantaba project area, a CCF affiliated area in Foni, on Saturday commemorated The Gambia’s 43 independence anniversary at a ceremony held at the Sangajor ECD centres in Foni Kansala.

According to Tamsir Cham, Ding Ding Bantaba project area manager, the celebration was meant to instill in the kids the love a patriot should have for his or her country at this age.

It is a neccessity, according to Mr Cham, for the children to be  incoperated in national development issues and to start taking ownership of their country at this tender age. “These are the future leaders of this country”. As part of the commemoration, the kids, in the wee hours of the day, had embacked on the monthly Set-setal, which is observed on the last Saturday of every month. They didn’t only clean the Sangajor ECD centre premises but also the streets of the village”.

Mr Cham added that Ding Ding Bantaba  is taking care of 1500 children in the six project area. “Ding Ding Bantaba is also sponsoring 786 students from the primary school to university level”.

The commemoration of The Gambia’s 43 independence that attracted hundreds of onlookers also withnessed a filing of the students, with their mock Gambian leader and his entire cabinet  from the six ECD centres.

Ebrima Jarju, a student from Sangajor ECD centre  acted the role of President Jammeh, and in his his statement, said the day was significant in the history of The Gambia. According to Ebrima Jarju, it was the day when The Gambia won a moment for her self to direct and take charge of her owr affairs.

He added that all well meaning Gambians and non-Gambians alike who are familiar with events in The Gambia would attest to the fact that over the past fourteen years, The Gambia had seen unprecedented development which included infrastructral development. He acknowledged and commended all Gambians that have contributed meaningfully and positively towards the development of the nation.