STAR project inaugurated

The three organisations in December 2021 secured a 36-month project under the broad programme referred to as CSO watchdog: Strengthening Transparency, Accountability and Resilience in The Gambia (STAR) and funded by the European Union.

The project titled “Enhancing Civil Society Capacity for Increased Participation in the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) in The Gambia” is meant to enhance the involvement and participation of CSOs and private sector in the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) and its successor, with special attention to education.

The project seeks to build and strengthen democratic governance by raising more civic awareness to generate active and informed popular participation in The Gambia.

The project will also play a vital role in developing or implementing adapted tools for data collection, monitoring and evaluation of progress, among other things.

Ndey Sireng Bakurin, executive director for TANGO, explained that the project would also enable citizens to identify their rights and prepare to defend them as well as demand public goods and services that they know are their entitlements.

That trend, she observed, would serve to make government more transparent, accountable and responsive, thereby transforming the country into a democracy-based good governance practices.

Jainaba T. Sarr, country director for Future In Our Hands, The Gambia (FIOHTG), said the road to socio-economic development can only be attained with relevant and quality education.

She added that the success attained thus far particularly in access to education and gender parity in enrolment rates are commendable.

According to her, the plan laid out in the NDP has given them hope that the solid blueprint will guide 'our common vision of an education system' that meets the dreams and aspirations of citizens.

She thus called on government for greater inclusion and participation of students, parents and Civil Society Organisations especially those involved in review of the national curricular as well as greater involvement of parents to support teachers in their efforts to train young ones.

Ousman Bah, regional education director at Region One under the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), acknowledged the role of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in any country's development.

"The Gambia cannot move without Civil Society Organisations and this project will support the implementation of our national blueprint."

He assured the consortium of government support and collaboration in ensuring that the project is successfully implemented.