Mr Sanneh was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2023 youth summer camp held recently in Brikama, West Coast Region.
“Today’s event is the beginning of a week-long camp filled with engaging activities, learning opportunities, and meaningful discussions,” Sanneh said. “Over 225 youths are expected to take part in the West Coast Region youth summer camp.”
He said that throughout the week, a wide range of activities were hosted, which included workshops, team-building exercises, outdoor adventures and insightful discussions.
“We believe that this camp will bring significant change and allow youth to learn, develop, and make significant impact,” he said.
Different thematic topics were covered during the eight-day camp, he added, saying they included leadership, gender issues, migration, entrepreneurship, sports administration, peace and security.
“As the bastion of Youth Empowerment, young people of West Coast Region have keen interest in fully taking part in all the above thematic areas,” Sanneh posited.
He added that the local organising committee arranged high level experts to interact with young people during the sessions.
He further stated that the weeklong youth convergence also covered sporting games and cultural displays.
“We are consolidating a dynamic young cultural team and other competitive areas ahead of next year's National Youth Conference and Festival (Nayconf) in April 2024,” he disclosed, adding: “I want to assure you all that we will be untouchable come next Nayconf with our current plans in place.”
He raised the fact that the young people of West Coast Region are challenged with certain barriers which include a non-multipurpose youth-friendly centre across the region.
In the same vein, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Bakary Y. Badjie, recently opened the 2023 Youth and Sports Summer Camp dubbed the Songhai Initiative, in Chamen, North Bank Region.
The camp, funded by the ministry and organised by the National Youth and Sports Councils, brought together more than 85 children and youth across the country.
The annual camp is meant to nurture the talents of the youth and children in various sporting disciplines and to build patriotism in them.
Minister Badjie challenged the campers to be good citizens, to take advantage of the opportunity and learn to become change agents.
He said youth and children have a role to play in national development and the camp is one of the avenues where they can learn about their roles and responsibilities.
He assured them of his office's continuous support to the summer camp and the young people of the country.
Alagie Jarju and Marcel Mendy, director and executive director of the National Youth and Sports Councils, highlighted the importance of the camp and promised to deliver on their mandate of providing youth and children with the required support for their empowerment and development.
