Sarah Hunt, Africa programme coordinator of YCare International recently concluded a weeklong monitoring visit to the Big Lottery Funded project being implemented by Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA).
Speaking in an interview with this reporter, Madam Hunt said YCare International is a local NGO based in the UK and Ireland and also works with YMCA The Gambia.
“My visit was aimed at monitoring projects carried out by the YMCA between January and December 2010, and also to plan for the final project in 2011,” she says.
According to her, YCare International works with the YMCA on programmes and issues affecting the youth.
She added that prior to this visit, she had come to The Gambia to see for herself the activities on the ground on skills training, entrepreneur development, as well as to retrieve Big Lottery Fund (BLF) staff during which she visited project sites throughout the country.
Madam Hunt revealed that the YMCA together with YCare International developed projects and submitted them to the BLF for funding, which was successful in 2008.
She adduced that the BLF gives funding to local NGO partners to support developmental projects among different partners.
“YMCA came out with efficient analysis on the needs of youth, such as employment, access to life key earnings in the country that the young people care about much,” says Hunt.
The visiting YMCA partner praised their Gambian counterparts for a job well done in recruiting 1600 young people in livelihood and vocational training at both regional and national levels.
Speaking further, Madam Hunt challenged the youths trained to turn the skills gained from the training into income-generation tools for themselves.
“YMCA has also established a micro-finance fund open to those 1600 youths to apply for a loan to help them set a successful enterprise,” said the YCare coordinator.
“We looking forward to continue working with them in future,” she added.