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SYDO seeks partnership for skills and agricultural development

Jul 19, 2017, 10:51 AM

Sarahulleh Youth Development Organizations (SYDO) is hereby seeking for partnership and support from willing hands to embark on construction and implementation of skills and agricultural development project for education improvement and promotion of culture in the spirit of peace and unity.

The organization aims to foster and promote understanding and co-operation among and between its members, as well the government of The Republic of The Gambia and other groups geared towards contributing effectively to the progress and development of the country.

Formed in June 2009, the association has since secured office space for its secretariat at West Field, opposite St. Therese’s school in Kanifing, where its Sooninke Language Literacy Centre is housed.

The literacy centre was initiated through a sub-association created for educational purposes.

The centre is providing literacy classes in Sarahulleh (Sooninke)- a local dialect in The Gambia, open to the public. The classes are run 3 days in every week, 2 hours in a day, thereby according people the opportunity to learn Sarahulleh Language and culture.

In the words of Muhmmed Lamin Juwara, SYDO President: “The classes have helped many Sarahulleh speakers to learn about their language and trace their roots and culture through their literacy classes.”

Mr Juwara said the association also engages in farming activities during every raining season, which they intend to expand and maintained in a bid to contribute towards the attainment food self-sufficiency in The Gambia.

Mr Juwara who is currently running the day to day affairs of SYDO further explained that they have been organizing annual sports tournaments in the Greater Banjul Areas and in the Upper River Region (URR) as means of encouraging and promoting sports development in the country since 2011.

“Over the years, SYDO recorded about thousand registered members in The Gambia and abroad,” he said.

In addition to the Sooninkan Language being taught, in 2010 the association started offering English, French, Spanish, German Languages, facilitated by Facuru Sillah, former President of the defunct Gambia Student Union (GAMSU).

However, due to his busy schedules, other languages were dropped, except the Sooninke (Sarahulleh), English and Arabic Languages, which are still up and running weekly, sponsored by SYDO.

“SYDO has also been organizing Annual Cultural Festival which aims to portray Sooninke culture, especially to the youth, with a view to enlighten them about their cultural values and practices,” pointed out Mr Juwara.

He further stated that among their social responsibilities they are organizing annual beauty pageants as well donate school materials to various schools in the Upper River Region.

In recognition of the fact that they represent a minority tribe with the lowest formal education and enrollment rate in The Gambia, SYDO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the American Embassy with a view to preserving its culture values and improving its educational level, among related activities.

On their intended activities, Mr Juwara said they secured a plot of land which is already fenced, but construction of rooms for use as multi-purpose centres till remains a challenge. The organization is currently developing proposals to seek funding to develop the 50 by 50 centimeter square land space situated in Basse, over 300 kilometres from the Capital, Banjul.

Among activities intended to be embarked upon at the Basse Multipurpose centre are Carpentry, Arts and Designing, Tailoring, Construction activities, as well guest rooms for a team of 16 people, conference/training hall, and offices.

Juwara also said:“As part of their intended plans to expand on agricultural development activities are the digging of two boreholes for community gardening in PeraiTenda and Galleh Mandakh villages respectively.”

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