Addressing the gathering, Jacob Francis Sarr, founder and brain behind Taranga Foundation, gave the rationale behind this charity - the idea behind the initiative is a testament that he is someone who carries The Gambia in his blood, in his memories, and in his future.
“When I left The Gambia at the age of 13, I carried with me the dreams of a young boy - dreams for myself, but also dreams for the youth I grew up with. The brothers I played football with. The friends I walked to school with. The young people who wanted something better, even if they couldn’t describe it.”
He affirmed that Taranga Foundation is not only a charity, a project, but a promise that every young person deserves to feel safe.
“Deserves to feel seen, to feel valued to dream and to ask for help without shame.”
To this end, he spoke of their mission which is to build a resilient generation, a generation that is emotionally strong, mentally supported and prepared for tomorrow.
“A generation that refuses to drown in drugs, or disappear through the back-way, or collapse under pressure. A generation that stands tall. And today, I am honoured to share with you the first step in that mission —the first spark of what Taranga will become’
Similarly, he also unveiled their upcoming after-school programme dubbed The Volt, which is more than an after-school programme.
“It is more than a youth centre. It is more than a project.”
Sarr explained that The Volt is a safe and secure space where teens can recharge their power.
“A place where they can come after school and feel protected, a place where they can talk about their emotions without fear. A place where they can find their voice, discover their talents, learn life skills, use technology, build confidence, and understand mental health challenges like ADHD — things many of them have never been taught.’
Also speaking Ebrima Drammeh widely known by his advocacy name -Ebrima Migrant Situation, spoke about the dangers of migrating to Europe through the ‘Back-way.”
A ‘Back-way’ migrant himself, Drammeh challenged students to reason that Europe is not what many perceived it to be, saying one can still make while in the country.
He lamented that many young people have lost their lives in their attempt to reach European shores not to talk about the financial loses some endured. Even those who made it to Europe, Drammeh said on arrival on European shores find it difficult to integrate in Europe.
He called on students to learn valuable skills and be ready to contribute to the country’s development.
Ousman Dambelleh, Chief Executive Officer, DBC Printing Company, shared his story from the early state of his company, recalling that almost three decades ago, he started his own business.
“With very little resources. And the distraction back then wasn't as much as it is today. There are a lot of distractions today. And we have a responsibility as parents to create the environment. To talk to our kids. To help them with their dreams as well as to identify their potential.”
He, however, acknowledged the fact that the reality today is that most parents are struggling to survive themselves, let alone to take care of their kids.
“So, the essential stuff that we look at today is more of feeding and so forth. But the investment that we have as parents is how do we invest in these young kids. And not only financially. But with character. With knowledge. You can be whatever you want to be. You can be a competitor. Train your kids to airplane and take it to the next level.”
He made refence to people like Gambian football sensation Yankuba Minteh, urging students to draw inspiration from such people.
“All of us come from a very modest kind of upbringing. And with sports, football is the most easy way of participating without even spending anything.”
CEO Dambelleh acknowledged that everyone has a dream and that ‘if we support them in that kind of sense, they can do well.’
“Like I said, I started my business about 30 years ago. I chose the little things. Because I wanted to connect with the people. I chose business cards. I did simple stuff. And everybody wanted to know. I was happy to know what everybody did.”
