The
President International Award’s (PIA) one-week national expedition and
residential project camp kick-starts today in Bwiam with the theme: “You have
more in you than you think”.
The
weeklong camp runs from 17 to 23 August 2016, and aims at creating,
strengthening and developing sustainable collaboration and partnership between
young people and their communities.
It
also aims at empowering the community with information on health, volunteering
and the importance of community service, and to also encourage young people to
adopt and develop livelihood and technical skills.
Speaking
at a press conference held at the PIA office in Bakau, Lamin Saidykhan,
chairperson of the National Organising Committee, said the national expedition
and residential project targets 150 award participants at all levels across the
country.
He
said the participants are within the age brackets of 14 to 25 years old,
emphasising that as a total youth development institution and a member of the
satellite institutions of the ministry of Youth and Sports, the call for
all-inclusiveness in national development and reaching out to marginalised and
grassroots communities is a responsibility that they pride themselves to take
whole-heartedly.
He
pointed out that this is a key and fundamental principle of the award
programme, through challenging young people everywhere through community
service and residential projects, among others.
Mr
Saidykhan said the award programme is currently taking place in over 140
countries and territories around the world, and the aim is to create committed
global citizens.
In The Gambia, it operates in schools and
communities, he added.
A
representative from PIA, Baboucarr Kebbeh, said PIA since its inception in 1979
has challenged over 25,000 youths through a balance progressive youth programme
of the international award.
He
added that this number has been on the increase year-by-year, because of its
unflinching benefits to the lives of young people of the country.
He
said the award gave birth to GAHA in 1986, as a vibrant youth body that will
work towards advocacy and complement the efforts of the PIA.
“GAHA
today has equally produced a good number of citizens, who are leading
institutions and organisations in The Gambia,” he said.
