Profile: Omar N. Darboe, exemplary youth activist

He started his education at Gunjur Primary School from 1988 to 1993.

Darboe later proceeded to Gunjur Upper Basic School from 1993 to 1996 and to Muslim Senior Secondary School from 1996 to 1999.

He again proceeded to the Institute for Professional Administration and Management (IPAM) in 2003 where he studied ICM in commercial studies.

Darboe also studied diploma in marketing, public relations, advertising, international business communication at Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) Professional Unit in 2005.

In 2012, he worked at Gunjur Radio Jannehkoto FM as marketing and programme officer.

Darboe did training workshop for community radios with International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) Gambia,-GPU-Flare in 2014.

He also did Gambia Press Union (GPU) refresher course on ethics and media law in the same year.

In 2015, Darboe was elected as a member of Trust Agency for Rural Development (TARUD) Board of trustees, a local NGO enhancing life and livelihood projects for the communities in The Gambia.

In 2017, he completed Waste AID, a UK training and capacity building in waste management, waste to wealth and auditing waste held in The Gambia.

In 2018, Darboe completed a course on monitoring, documentary and reporting (MDR) on human rights violations with Amnesty International held in The Gambia and also attended certificate course in management at Management Development Institute (MDI).

In 2019, he completed his training as an assistant Voice for Gambia’s Youth on mobile reporting, photo and video editing with DW Academie.

Darboe is a member of Gunjur Development Association (GDA), serving as treasurer and work coordinator for the association.

The GDA is a local community-based organisation working in the area of environment, youths and women’s development, education, enhancing life and livelihood of communities, and networking.

Darboe is a member of Liking Without Border as chairperson, linking and bridging the gap between South-North and South-South Cooperation.

He served as a technical adviser for Pentagon Promotion, a local youth organisation for promoting youth development in the area of talent exhibition, organising debate and speech competition, sponsorship programmes and fundraising activities. 

Darboe is currently operating an organic farming project which is accommodating fifteen to twenty horticultural gardeners mainly the womenfolk.

He also engages in environmental and social justice activism and networking.

Darboe served as former secretary general of Hawks Youth Development, and as former secretary general of Gunjur Village Development Committee.

He was also the former Public Relations Officer (PRO) for Kombo South Youth Association.