NYC trains youth on enterprise development

By Samsideen Ceesay National Youth Council (NYC) in partnership with National Enterprise Development Initiative (NEDI) has recently concluded a-five-day entrepreneurship training for 81 young people. The training funded by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) The Gambia office was held at Rural Development Institute (RDI) in Mansakonko, Lower River Region. The training targeted voluntary returnees and potential migrants among young people across the country to provide them with livelihood means as motivation to desist from irregular migration, enable them to productively manage their enterprises. This training was also meant to establish four vibrant youth-led businesses including poultry projects in Busumbala, Salikenni, and Kuntaur and gardening project in Nyakoi, Wuli under the IOM AGAMI project. Alagie Jarju, National Youth Council Program Manager said the training was meant to provide young people basic skills on how to manage their businesses. Ousman Sonko, Vice Principal Rural Development Institute in his welcoming remarks said enhancing the capabilities of people to free themselves from poverty and servitude are more than anything. “It is our duty to ensure migrants have skills that will be able to help them overcome their daily needs since migration is a fundamental human right.” Landing Sanneh, General Manager National Enterprise Development Initiative for his part urged participants to learn and share with each other. He went on to thank NYC and IOM for recognizing the plight of young people and being ready to develop and change their lives for the better. Lamin Darboe, Executive Director National Youth Council in his keynote address said getting resources is not only enough which is why they organised the training for young people to ensure they are able to effective use those resources to enable them achieve the objectives they set for themselves. Darboe stated that “young people constitute the majority of the population which should be an asset and strength but instead we form part of the vulnerable group. “There are challenges but there are people who made it in the country, saying they are not against migration but are against the current mass exodus of our energy, number, demography, talents who are all leaving for the unknown.” He called on young people to try to make their groups more organise, credible and be very focus on the objectives. “As young people we are required to provide solution to the problems that exists in our families and communities and not run away from them and move out of the country,” he remarked. Lower River Region Governor Hon. Salifu Puye, said people migrate because they want livelihood. According to him, Africa has better resources than Europe and America, adding that, “we can develop our businesses and be going to Europe and coming.”]]>