By Fatou Bojang
Public Utilities Regulatory Authority on Wednesday commenced a three-day training of its student ambassadors on consumer advocacy.
It is rolling out the ‘PURA Student Ambassadors’ program in selected schools in the Greater Banjul Area to educate and empower young people to be consumer advocacators.
The initiative aims to familiarize students with the sectors regulated by PURA, build their capacity on operator relationships, and encourage interest in the sector.
Burama Jammeh, Director Economic Regulation, said the implementation has initiated two major sensitization programs, the Consumer Parliament, which is a biennial event that brings together consumers, operators, and government representatives to discuss pertinent regulatory issues and the Bantaba Outreach program, involves traveling to towns and villages across Gambia to inform people about consumer rights and responsibilities. These initiatives have helped to promote consumer protection and service delivery. Regular reviews and strategic planning ensure continued effectiveness of the programs.
Malamin Darboe, Director of Human Resources, said Pura is proud to partner with the Student Ambassadors and support their initiatives. He said this partnership will have a positive impact on the country and provide valuable experiences for their career growth and they are fully committed to supporting you in all your endeavors.
On behalf of the student ambassador, one Muhammed Gassama, said: “We are excited and committed to acknowledge and promote the agenda of PURA in communities, we feel confident that we the ambassadors are the right people for the job, as evidenced by being selected out of many schools.”
He believes Pura should have hope in their ambassadors, as they are well-equipped to help them progress.
