By Olimatou Coker
Childfund the Gambia and its partners, Saama Kairo Federation, Ding-Ding Yiriwa Federation and Foni Ding Federation, over the weekend celebrated the International Youth Day in Brikama.
The theme for this year’s celebration was “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World.”
International Youth Service Day is a pan-African youth-led social impact campaign which coincides with UN commemoration of youth day on August 12. The day actively sheds light on the plight of young people putting them on the spotlight to find solutions for a brighter future and enhanced participation in national development.
It’s also a special day for children’s advocacy agency ChildFund which is implementing a range of programs supporting child development and education initiatives.
Nfamara Darbo, ChildFund’s program and sponsorship director, said since the inception of the event in 2020 the youth day of service has seen significant participation in 24 African countries, engaging over 6000 volunteers and nearly 400 regional SDG action projects.
“This year LEAP Africa in partnership with ChildFund and Government are calling on all African youth, corporate organizations, public and social sector organizations to renew the spirit of active citizenship by spreading the culture of service and collective responsibility.”
On behalf of the federation managers, Karamo Jatta said the celebration of International Youth Day recognizes the crucial role of the youth in enhancing environmental protection, saying the commemoration avails young people the opportunity to contribute their quota towards the restoration of the environment.
Mariama, a sponsored child, said: “We the young people have a crucial role to play in environmental protection. The environment was preserved for us to see it, and we must do the same for generations coming. That’s why we join ChildFund in these activities marking Youth Day.”
Borry Mansa Demba, National Environment Agency program manager environmental quality, advised young people to be agents of change in their respective communities.
International Youth Day is a platform to harness the energy of African youths towards greater creativity and innovation, encouraging them to voluntarily dispense their skills and resources to deliver a sustainable future for Africa.
The celebration was characterized by a waste collection caravan in Brikama where officials conducted sensitization forums with communities and key stakeholders.
