Camp Africa, a new and innovative project dedicated
to fostering sustainable development activities and initiatives to enhance the
educational capacity of youth and nurture their leadership qualities in
collaboration with KitAid on Thursday 30th April 2015 presented sets of
jerseys, footballs and football pumps to 4 senior secondary schools and 2
vocational training institutions.
The presentation held at ASSET Bantaba saw SBEC International School, Ndaw’s senior secondary school, Gambia senior seconday school, Gambia Methodist Academy, IPAM and Institute of Travel and Tourism of the Gambia (ITTOG) each receive a set of jersey, a football and a football pump.
Speaking shortly before the presentation, George Gomez Director Camp Africa said, schools are one of their collaborators since they started, adding that, they have been working with schools with their student programs.
Camp Africa organizes student camps in the Gambia and also sends student overseas on camping every year, he said, noting that, the aim of Camp Africa is to bring and encourage integration as well as enable students learn from each other after which they will go back respecting each other’s culture, make friends and in that way developing a peaceful society.
“Most of the problems we have in the world now is because people do not respect each other’s culture”, he stated, but added that, at the level of young people if they learn and respect each other’s culture they will grow up and become responsible adults, be able to dissect, accept chances and recognize problems before they even start.
In August they are sending 20 students to England and have also been invited to send students to another camp in October, he explained, saying, since they deal with young people they thought it is also important to encourage sporting activities within the schools as a healthy student is a productive student.
“A student cannot take there examination if they are not healthy”, he went on, adding that, sports and physical exercise continues to promote health and unless a student is healthy that student can never be a graduate.
KitAid’s aim is to develop sports particularly football in the developing countries, the Camp Africa Director said, adding: “in two weeks we will be doing a trip to Touba Kuta (2 schools) and Zigunchor (5 schools) in Senegal to present to schools”.
He described presentation as unique, healthy and enjoyable to them, saying, Camp Africa is here to contribute to the development of students of the Gambia so that they will be more responsible and move the country forward.
Momodou Colley a teacher at SBEC International School thanked Camp Africa on behalf of beneficiaries for their kind gesture.
He added that, Camp Africa has gone beyond what they did on Thursday as they are trying to put schools together which is a noble objective they should all embrace and help.
By trying to bring youth of different nationalities and culture they are paving a way of resolving a big problem which is cultural intolerance throughout the world, Mr Colley said while urging Camp Africa to keep it up as they are very great in their actions despite being small.
Fatou E. Muloshi a student of Ndaw’s in her vote of thanks on behalf of beneficiaries thanked the donors and said they hope they will continue supporting schools.
They hope the collaboration will grow from strength to strength, she added, saying, they will make good use of the material donated to them.
They will continue to enhance their educational capacity since that is one of the aims of Camp Africa, she went on, adding that, they will use the material to promote their health.
