IYF Gambia Prepares For World Camp

The International Youth Fellowship (IYF), a worldwide non-profit making organisation, in collaboration with the National Youth Council (NYC) yesterday 7 July 2009, held a press conference as part of preparations for this year's IYF 2009 World Camp in Ghana.

The press conference, held at the Independence Stadium in Bakau, was aimed at introducing to the public, the programmes of the International Youth Fellowship as a youth organisation that advocates for youths and the upcoming International Youth Camp, the IYF World Camp, which will take place in Ghana from 6th - 14th August, 2009. It is anticipated that over 7000 youths from all parts of the world would take part in the programme.

It was also, among others, aimed at soliciting sponsorship for twenty Gambian youths, to attend the event by flight in order to represent the Gambia in this worldwide youth event.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Baboucarr Darboe said IYF has been established in 125 countries, aimed at developing leaders of the next generation that process human nature and global leadership, advancement of youths by promoting education, health and sports, and facilitating overseas field experience.

According to Mr. Darboe, the Gambian branch has been organising various classes for youths, including students and adults at no cost, such as French Language, Korean language, computer, music dance, among others.

"The aim of this training", he added, "is to build capacities and give good careers and skills abilities or self-generating projects for better lives of youths and getting jobs to develop themselves."

Mr. Darboe explained that the World Camp is an international youth training programme that strives to build capacities and increase fellowship among youths. He stated that the Gambia's participation to this important event, aims at providing opportunities to find direction in life, promote a mindset that aims towards a greater world, provide an opportunity to develop with foreign students and cultivate qualities and abilities essential to lead the 21st century. He added that the IYF Gambia would be geared towards developing the mind-sets of the Gambian youths and African youths at large.

"The IYF Gambia will be engaging into meaningful youth development programmes, such as youth seminars, national set-settal, youth exchange programmes and youth counseling in order to enlighten and change the mindsets of the youths against illegal migration", he concluded.