Mamadou
Edrisa Njie, executive director of Global Youth Innovation Network- Gambia
(GYIN) has said that rural transformation is an effective way to overcome
poverty and food insecurity through the provision of job opportunities through
the value chain.
Mr.
Njie was speaking at a press conference at their head office in Churchill’s
Town as part of preparations for the 2nd edition of Rural Youth Award 2018
scheduled to take place on 27 and 28 April 2018 at The Gambia Songhai
Initiative (GSI) in Chamen, North Bank Region.
The
rural award is meant to encourage rural youth entrepreneurs to venture into
agribusiness (production, processing and marketing) of home grown products.
This year’s award is expected to gather more than 300 delegates, under the
theme: Linking stakeholders in the agricultural value chain from fields to
mouths: Increase food production, processing and marketing to provide decent
jobs for rural youths.
Mr.
Njie said this year’s rural award is supported by the Youth Empowerment
Project, NEMA-CHOSSO and the National Youth Council.
GYIN
is a national youth network that focuses on entrepreneurship programme, agri
business, information technology and community outreach programmes. “As a youth
network, we only specialize in rural development that’s why our programme
focuses on improving the livelihood of rural youths,” Mr. Njie said.
He
said the rural youth award started last year where ten young people were
awarded and all of them presently are into business. “This year we are looking
into ten categories. At GYIN, we don’t only stop at awarding these young
people. However, this year he will have 25 of them and 10 will be awarded and
the other 10 will be nominees, thus after the award we will start a three
months mentorship programme for them which is supported by YEP.”
He
said applicants who are not lucky to win an award this year will have the
opportunity to be enrolled in a three-month mentorship programme on enterprise
management. “So basically you have nothing to lose.”
Chairman
of the national organizing committee of the award Muhammed Lamin F. Kinteh
spoke at length on the significance of the award, saying they just concluded a
caravan tour of meeting local authorities in the regions with a view to
informing them about the importance of the rural award as well as to sound
their opinions and recommendation in the subsequent awards.