The programme was held on Saturday, September 5, 2026, in Sare Chikam Village, Upper Niumi District, North Bank Region, bringing together students, parents, community elders, members of the district youth committee and other community members.
Established in September 2017, SCYA is a non-profit and non-political organisation established to contribute to the development of Sare Chikam and improve the quality of life of its young people.
Speaking at the ceremony, SCYA Chairperson Assan Bah said the annual programme was driven by a commitment to support children in school and invest in the future of the community.
“Every year, SCYA comes together for this programme with one clear purpose: to support our children in school and to invest in the future of Sare Chikam,” he said.
According to him, the association believes education is the strongest foundation for community development and that supporting one student ultimately benefits the entire village.
As part of this year’s programme, SCYA provided exercise books to households, while school bags and uniforms were distributed to 11 outstanding students from primary to senior secondary school.
The overall best-performing student in each category also received a cash prize as an additional incentive for academic excellence.
Bah commended sponsors, partners and sons and daughters of Sare Chikam at home and in the diaspora for contributing cash, school materials and advice towards the initiative.
The guest speaker, Fatou Faal, Senior Legal Officer at the Medicines Control Agency, spoke on the theme: “Education as a Pathway to a Better Future.”
Faal encouraged students to dream big, saying their background or current circumstances should not determine how far they can go.
She shared her own journey into the legal profession, explaining that she completed senior secondary school in 2011, graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of The Gambia in 2015 and was called to the Bar in March 2018.
She later became a legal practitioner in January 2020 and joined the Medicines Control Agency in March 2024. She was recently appointed Senior Legal Officer.
Faal said her journey was not without challenges, revealing that she prepared for her Bar examinations while caring for a newborn child.
She urged students to remain disciplined, patient and committed to their education, stressing that “education can open the door, but you have to be willing to walk through it.”
She also encouraged parents to provide emotional and practical support to their children and urged teachers to continue playing their role in shaping the future of young people.
Meanwhile, Amadou A.O. Bah, Senior Public Health Officer at the Ministry of Health, urged parents to take their children’s education seriously.
He stressed that both parents should take responsibility for their children’s education instead of leaving the responsibility mainly to mothers.
Abdoulie S. Bah, Treasurer of the Upper Niumi District Youth Committee, commended SCYA for its work, describing the association as an example for other youth organisations in the district.
He said education was fundamental to national development and urged students to compete positively in academic performance.
A parent, Hawa Jallow, thanked SCYA for the initiative, saying the support would help reduce the financial burden on parents while providing children with the materials they need to perform well in school.
