Some five ex-Corps Members of The Gambia National Youth Service Scheme namely Ousman Sanyang, Yankuba Sanneh, Sait Secka, Sana Sanyang and Sohna Sambou, recently returned home, having bagged diplomas testifying to their success and performance in various disciplines. Among the disciplines for which they were honoured were crop production, aquaculture, agro processing and poultry production.
The former trainees of NYSS were in Songhai Centre, Benin, where they attended the ECOWAS Youth Training along side other youths from ECOWAS member states. The month-long training exercise, organised by ECOWAS, aimed at providing youth in the sub-region with a wide range of vocational skills, which will in return enable them to guide and maintain gainful employment and sustainable livelihoods.
According to the trainees, the training was practical and also involved both skilled and unskilled labour; thus it was more intensive labour in all units. "We specialised and worked on areas such as crop production, aquaculture, agro processing and poultry production. We also had the opportunity to learn by seeing and doing things especially the high breeding technique programme of fish that was artificial insemination," said Sait Secka.
Meanwhile, in fulfillment of the graduation criteria, the NYSS 'ambassadors' were obliged to write projects based on the Songhai integrated system, a task they did to perfection.
Speaking to this reporter, the NYSS Ex corps members expressed gratitude to ECOWAS and NYSS for their steadfastness towards the development of the youth and vowed to make the best use of the knowledge gained from the training.
Receiving the returnees at the airport, Mr. Mbye, NYSS Executive Director commended them for keeping the NYSS flag flying high. He went on to implore them to remain disciplined and be hardworking at all times.
