By Amadou Jadama
President Barrow Youth for National Development, PBYND is being widely viewed as a political entity but it is not, according to Seedy Lamin Bah, its programme manager.
Bah rubbished those assumptions recently as the PBYND officials laid the foundation stone of a 2000sqkm women’s garden in Mandinari, Kombo North in the West Coast Region.
He clarified that PBYND was created to “foster social cohesion, national integration and development for all Gambians”.
Speaking to The Standard on the sidelines following the laying of the foundation stone, he said: “We [at PBYND] champion the president’s agenda through promoting and implementing his agenda of enhancing civic education, youth empowerment, and economic improvement among other things.”
Turning to the objective of the gathering, Bah said: “We are in Mandinari today to witness the laying of the foundation stone of a horticultural garden, which is part of our corperate social responsibility.”
He asserted that the “PBYND has been given gardens to famers throughout the country”.
“This is the last batch of the first phase, which comprised 12 gardens. The essence of this, is to help the women of Mandinari.
“In total, we have 150 projects which include borehole construction, construction of mosques, churches and public toilets. We have completed work on Pirang, Yundum, and Bakoteh women’s gardens,” the programme manager explained.
Saikouba Jarju, NAM for Busumbala, expressed delight with the project, which reached his constituency.
“I see President Barrow Youth for National Development as an NGO that is willing to help the local people,” he stated.
The lawmaker said when it comes to national development initiatives, he supports the PBYND “hundred percent”.
“But when it comes to politics, I don’t support them. I belong to a political party that is UDP,” Jarju said distinctly.
He urged the PBYND to “desist from politics”.
Women speaker Jainaba Ceesay thanked the PBYND for the gesture.
