Press Release
Former Secretary General and youth empowerment enthusiast, Momodou Sabally, has urged young people to remain optimistic and engage themselves in patriotic actions that would aid our nation building process.
Sabally made these remarks over the past weekend as he delivered a keynote speech at a youth talent event organised by the group “Youths for a Better Gambia.”
Addressing the organisers and participants, Sabally commended the youths for an impressive forum showcasing talent in the fields of poetry, music, public speaking among others.
Dilating on the theme Challenges and Opportunities for youths in The Gambia, he stated: “Our opportunities are our challenges and the reverse is also true. Our challenge is to create a new Gambia but as Honourable Halifa Sallah would rightly say “for us to have a new Gambia; you should become a new Gambian!”
“But how? You must craft a path out of your passion and build an inner vision powered by hope and enthusiasm. Striving and working and praying to achieve your personal goals that are in alignment with our national vision and mission.
“But we must start with ourselves. We keep talking about changing The Gambia and even the world; but have we changed ourselves first? Old Gambia was never the making of one man. It was a collective mindset; and so the booting out of that one man is a necessary, but certainly not a sufficient condition to create a New Gambia. When will you change yourself; your attitude towards yourself, your community and the country?
“Our other challenge, which is also an opportunity, is #Freedom. How well are we using or rather abusing our new found freedom? Why are we creating antagonist situations among ourselves when we are supposed to be on the path of reconciliation and nation building?
“Challenges are opportunities and opportunities are also challenges. What is important is your mental attitude as youths of this beautiful country!
“America is said to be the land of opportunities but even there, they have challenges to deal with constantly. But be glad, with faith, that there is no problem, no challenge, without a solution/ an opportunity embedded inside it. As Allah assures us in the Holy Quran, ‘So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief; verily, with every difficulty, there is relief’”
After expressing his gratitude to the organisers for inviting him and allowing him to cut the cake for the event, Sabally concluded his address with a passionate plea for patriotic zeal and positive action.
“Our duty as young people is to remain patriotic and to maintain a positive mental attitude,” he said, “or else our few challenges will make us lose sight of the overwhelming number of opportunities that abound in this country. Let us continue to nurture beautiful initiatives like this forum where we bring young people together to engage in positive dialogue. And beyond this, let us also come together as young people to engage ourselves in positive, constructive and inspiring ACTION. And to engender the ethos of striving and working and praying ‘that all may live in unity, freedom and peace each day'”
