Increasing the number of youth friendly centres across the country is one of the key results of NDP Strategic Priority.
The centres are expected to serve both as an entry point for youth development, and a platform for engagement and empowerment.
The Gambia National Youth Council (NYC) under the Ministry of Youth and Sports is responsible of the coordination and delivery of this key strategic development result.
In line with the priorities of the National Development Plan 2018-2021, IMVF and partners in collaboration with National Youth Council of The Gambia consider the strengthening of Youth Centres’ capacities, targeting their revitalization as key providers of youth friendly service across the country through the development of a comprehensive Standard Operational Procedure (SOP).
This is aimed at providing guidelines and frameworks for the establishment, operation, and management of self-sustaining youth friendly centres including monitoring, evaluation and quality assurances.
IMVF and three partners - United Purpose (UP), Agency for Development of Women and Children (ADWAC) and Alianza por la Solidaridad are implementing a project under the Tekki Fii programme funded by the EU Trust Fund for Africa.
One of the action’s aim is to support the role of local organizations – namely, community radios, youth groups, Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) – as providers of services, social facilities and spaces for community encounters and dialogues.
The implementation of social services and facilities and the strengthening of community organizations, together with the more
economic oriented intervention foreseen under the project, aim to promote youth and women’s engagement in rural development and provide a favourable social backdrop for the reintegration of migrants in the targeted regions.
Different development partners are, directly or indirectly, supporting the reinforcement of Youth Centres.
For example, YEP/International Trade Centre is currently contributing to the rehabilitating of the centres in Janjanbureh and Farafenni and supporting the promotion of income generation activities, as International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is partnering with Youth Centres to establish Migration Information Centres throughout the country.
Thus, the development of a SOP will also provide a common framework for stakeholders and development partners.
The purpose of Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) for Youth Centres across The Gambia is to reinforce their role as youth friendly service providers, as foreseen in the National Development Plan 2018-2021.
SOP shall be a comprehensive framework and a tool to promote transparency, accountability and sustainability of the youth centres, working towards their financial self-sufficiency and the quality of the services and activities to be provided the communities.
