By Aisha Tamba
The central manager of The Gambia Technical Training Institute in Mansakonko, Wandifa Fatty has told the Tekki-Fii implementing partners that without the intervention of the programme, youths would be languishing in their communities.
As the programme is phasing out, Tekki-Fii implementers ITC, IMVF, and ENABLE toured across the nation to meet the beneficiaries and hear their successes.
Speaking to the delegates, Fatty thanked the Tekki-Fii implementers for their support to the institution. “I am very happy to inform you that a great effort was put in place courtesy of Tekki-Fii. It has been a wonderful journey at a time when we had lots of needs. There has been a need for the rehabilitation of the entire Center. But it is because of the giant partnership that we have with the Tekki-fii and the entire team that comes to The Gambia to support our development efforts. I want to say thank you to our development partners.”
He explained that students from remote areas used to have housing problems but through the intervention of Tekki-fii and the government of The Gambia in the two months, students will start using the dormitory for the first time. “There has been a lot of work on the ground, today we have a fully-equipped student dormitory and I am proud to say that. People can now come from any part of the country to study in GTTI Mansa Konko. This is what we want to continue in supporting the youths and we will want to see how best it can continue for the sustainability.”
He said workshops are sprouting up in the communities and have created employment, putting a limitation on urban migration.
“Today I am proud to say that most of these workshops are GTTI Mansakonko. In the next five years, you will find our students everywhere around the country. Most of these students would not go to school, they would have still been languishing in their homes or some other parts of the country and we are still pointing fingers that they don’t want to contribute. But they are able to do it because the opportunities are proved by the partnership of the Tekki-fii and the Gambia government.
“There have been misconceptions in the country when it comes to the youth’s ability and their contributions to the national quarter. People will say that these youths are lazy. I say no to that. The majority of youths in this country are ready to work but the opportunities are very slim. This is the fact.”
