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PIA needs over D400, 000 to hold expedition

Jul 15, 2016, 9:44 AM

The President’s International Award needs D445,000 to successfully organize seven-day National Expedition and Residential Project in Bwiam, West Coast Region, officials said.

The event is targeting 150 Award participants at all levels across the country from School Award participants, community Award participants and Gold Award Holders Association, within the age bracket of 14 to 25.

The event will be held under the theme: “You have more in you than you think”.

The aim of the event is to create, strengthen and develop sustainable collaboration and partnership between young people and the communities to clear communities of hazards of indiscriminate dumping and other materials.

It also meant to empower communities with information on health, volunteering and the importance of community services and encourage young people to adopt and develop livelihood and technical skills.

Capacity building, sharing skills, intergeneration dialogue, and cultural activities among others will be part of activities during the camp. 

There will be also a commemoration of the 60th Year anniversary of the International Award during the event. 

The event is out to promote cohesiveness, understanding and sense of community services among participants. Promote the wellbeing of the environment through cleansing exercise, community sensitizations.

 It also expected to promote peace and development as cardinal principles of a prosperous society and committed citizenship, develop leadership capacity of young people, promote volunteerism as a core and fundamental Gambian value and adventure and discover the life of others.

“As a total youth development institution and a member of satellite institutions of Ministry of Youth and Sports, the call for all-inclusiveness in national development and reaching out to marginalized and grassroots communities are a responsibility we pride ourselves to take wholeheartedly,” organizers said.

This, they added, is evident to be a key and fundamental principle of the Award programme through challenging young people everywhere through community services and residential project among others.

According to them once a young person challenges him or herself in order to adventure, discover and participate in community service initiatives, his or her talents and potentials, which are pre-requisite for productivity and self-reliance, are sharpened and enhanced to greater heights.

“Ultimately, the Award provides shortcomings and inadequacies of our formal education systems. In effect, it is a non-formal educational programme that fills gaps created by the classroom and young people take it during their leisure and free time,” he said.

Organizers 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.

The organizers called on Non-governmental Organizations, government institutions, parastatals, private sectors and individuals to support the course of young people.