Goal is Standard Charterer’s leading education programme that provides financial literacy, life skills and employability training to low-income adolescent girls in The Gambia and cross the world.
Officials said since the programme was launched in 2006, it has grown from a small programme in two Delhi slums to an internationally recognised global movement.
A forum on the Goal programme was on Friday held at St Joseph Senior Secondary School in Banjul.
Speaking on the occasion, Standard Chartered CEO Albert Saltson said that the Goal is a unique programme, developed by Standard Chartered that had reached out to more than 217,000 girls in 25 countries where the bank operates.
“Through a combination of sports and life skills training, Goal aims to empower and equip adolescent girls with the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to be integral economic leaders in their families, communities and societies,” he said.
“We are convinced that by investing money in this programme today, we are planting the seeds for a more sustainable future for Gambian youth.”
He said the Goal programme partners with global development organisations who are experts in developing confidence, leadership and teaching life skills to adolescent girls.
Through the programme, girls play basketball, football, netball or volleyball, depending on the local game of choice.
CEO Saltson said the vision of the bank is to develop Goal Champion and Ambassadors in The Gambia that are able to train their fellow colleagues in the long run with the objective of rolling out the programme in all the secondary schools.
Principal of St Joseph Senior, Anna Coker, expressed optimism about the programme while thanking Standard Chartered for the initiative.
