CAID trains child rights activists

The Children and Community Initiative for Development (CAID) recently organised a two-day recruitment training at the Girls’ Guide Training Centre in Kanifing.

In his opening speech, Ibrahim Ceesay, executive director of CAID, thanked all those who attended the training, saying the training is very important, particularly to the children of the country.

Mr. Ceesay said CAID is a public interest-based organization striving towards child and community development in The Gambia.

He stressed that disadvantaged communities and children that are vulnerable to poverty and human rights violations should be educated, empowered and equipped with necessary skills in circumventing challenges affecting them at all levels.

“Since its inception in 2005, we have been implementing several youth-led and community development projects in different parts of the country,” he said.

Mr. Ceesay explained that CAID established the Children Advocacy Network (CAN) using information, entertainment and the media as a means of advocacy for issues affecting children and the community.

The network is action-oriented and its motto bears the statement: turning ideas into action for children’s development and solidarity. The group has realised the importance of advocacy and peer to peer education and believes in using entertainment and the media as a tool for advocacy.

According to him, in The Gambia, young people make up over 60 per cent of the population and “in the nearest future there is hope of an increase”.

“Young people in The Gambia, especially children, have to be informed, educated, trained and empowered and with life skills to be able to vanquish problems affecting them,” Mr. Ceesay reiterated.