Marie Gillen donates school furniture to Crab Island TVET Centre

The presentation was held at Island Crab TVET Centre in Banjul on Friday.

Marie Gillen said the donation was part of her Organisation’s corporate social responsibility to support people and institutions that are in need.

She encouraged students to make best use of the materials for their own wellbeing and betterment of the centre.

Ousman Sillah, National Assembly Member (NAM) for Banjul North, described the gesture as a demonstration of his commitment towards young people of the country that are rendered as unproductive due to their lack of education, skill and employment. 

“I consulted the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) in order to obtain its full support and cooperation to allocate the premises to be revived and transformed into a Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Centre,” he said.

Honorable Sillah added that the objective of the initiative is to provide technical and vocational skills for the unemployed, unskilled, potential and returning migrants, school drop outs and vulnerable groups.

The Banjul North lawmaker said with support from partners, the Centre was officially inaugurated on 29th October, 2021 and is now operational as a fully-fledged training institution.

According to him, partners provided scholarships for all trainees, rehabilitated and constructed buildings and other structures, furnished classrooms and offices, purchased the training and office materials and equipment as well as supported to maintain the teaching and administrative staff.

He explained that Crab Island TVET Centre has now enrolled 175 trainees who would be graduating in the next nine months in seven skills areas namely: hairdressing, tailoring, satellite installation, electrical installation, solar installation, plumbing and building construction.

Hon. Sillah noted that the first cohort of trainees comprises young men and women between the ages of 16 and 35 years from Banjul North and other parts of Banjul as well as from Kanifing Municipal Council, West Coast Region and North Bank Region. 

The beneficiaries also include members of the disciplined services such as The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), The Gambia Police Force (GPF), The Gambia Immigration Department (GID), The Gambia Fire and Rescue Services (GFRS) and Drug Law Enforcement Agency, The Gambia (DLEAG).

Matarr John, director of the Center, commended Mrs. Gillen for the gesture and gave assurance that the materials will be used for its intended purpose.