Thirteen celebrities have received their awards after emerging winners in the first edition of Lower River Regional Youths Talent Show on the theme “YES WE CAN DO IT” held by Ba’lal Rural Empowerment and Sustainable Development Initiative (BRESDI), in collaboration with Working Children and Youth (WCY) on Saturday 4 January 2014 in Jarra Soma.
The event, supported by homegrown business entrepreneurs, featured a display of naturally endowed talents and skills of participants within the ages of 18 and 25 mainly students, in highly marketable fields of beauty pageant, public speaking, comedy and drama, music box and mimicking, dancing and cultural performance.
In the group category, Pakalinding Working Children and Youth received award for best cultural performer; American Boys group of Soma received award for best dancers, and the award for Best Drama went to Activista.
On the side of the beauty pageant, Fatoumata Sanyang was crowned Miss Soma 2014, Fatou M. Sowe emerged first runner-up, Isatou Marong emerged second runner-up and Fatoumata Mbaye was miss Photogenic.
Other awards went to Kebba Jallow for Music Box, Abdoulie Cham for Comedy, Kaddijatou Colley and Mariama M. Bah for Miming, and Yaya Bah and Lamin Kinteh for Public Speaking.
The Chairperson of the Organising Committee, Edrissa Drammeh, said the event was staged at the right time to supplement the ongoing efforts of the Lower River Region to host the upcoming 2014 NaYCONF.
Participants were given the chance to demonstrate their natural skills in decision-making and leadership performances in preparation for series of forums and competitions of the same nature in which they will get to participate in the near future.
The programme officer of Ba’lal Rural Empowerment and Sustainable Development Initiative (BRESDI), Amadou A. Bah, said the aim of the event was to dictate a lasting culture of winning spirit in the participating youth by harmonizing their talents in a parade of classified formats.
On the methods used to scout for those talents, Mr Bah said they used outreach to different institutes such as schools and youth centres to tap the most potential cream of the society which the event hunted for to transform them into exemplary and uprising market stars.
In his welcoming remarks, Alhasan Bah, president of the WCY, described the programme as complementary to the core values of his association.
“The event,” he said, “does not only highlight the prominence of our youth but also the innovative minds of our young business entrepreneurs.”
He explained that the event created a venue for presentation of knowledge in the form of drama and skills-based performances by community and student groups right from the village level, for the larger audience of all walks of life.