The
Gambia chapter of Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN) staged its first-ever
rural youth award ceremony, at the Agricultural Rural Farmers Training Centre
in Jenoi, LRR on Saturday.
The
overall aim of the award was to identify, promote and elevate successful young
men and women who, despite all odds, are channeling their creativity, energy
and passion to contribute to making a change in their communities.
It
also aimed to motivate rural youth’s to showcase their talents in entrepreneurship,
agribusiness and information technology as well as provide a platform to
promote gender equality and inclusiveness.
The
award was organised with the financial and logistical support of the National
Agriculture Land and Water Management Development Project (Nema), an
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) funded project and the
Youth Empowerment Project (YEP), which is funded by the European Union (EU). It
was implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the National Youth
Council (NYC).
30
people were awarded certificates and the 10 outstanding participants were
awarded with fifteen thousand dalasi (D15,000) each.
The
award was categorised as follows: Young Farmer of the Year, Young Entrepreneur
of the Year, Young Business Idea of the Year, Young Emerging Business of the
Year, Young Information Technology of the Year, Young Commercial Farmer of the
Year, Young Agribusiness of the Year, Young Social Media Campaign of the Year,
Best Business Innovation of the Year and Young Business Partner of the Year.
Speaking
at the awards ceremony, Executive Director of GYIN Gambia, Mamadou Edrisa Njie,
said GYIN is an international youth network that operates in 110 countries
globally.
“It
is a network that is also supported by the International Fund for Agricultural
Development,” he said.
Mr
Njie said the group has organised a National Youth Summer Camp, which consisted
of 16 men and 26 women. It was held from the 24th to the 31st July 2016. It was
called ELIT (Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Information Technology).
He
said GYIN and the National Youth Network (NYN) have organized a series of
training programmes for young people since 2012 on entrepreneurship,
leadership, agribusiness and information technology.
Mr
Njie called on their donors and the private sector, farming organisations,
youth organisations, ministries and departments to join and support the global
network that supports the development of the rural youth.
Also
speaking at the awards ceremony, Muhammed Kebbeh, the executive director of the
National Youth Council, said the award considered about 30 young people from
rural areas, of which 10 were awarded.
He
said that improving rural life and employment could not happen in the absence
of young people as they constitute more than 50% of The Gambia’s population.
“They
are the generation suitable enough to be in schools and to have massive
education. They are a generation that can amend and realise the power of
technology to communicate but also to provide the tools and platforms necessary
for development,” he added.
