By Aminata Ceesay
Salimatou Foundation for Education has recently held a step-down training on civic engagement and policy advocacy at NEDI hall.
The forum was funded by Youth Initiative for Growth and Advancement, YIAGA.
Speaking during the training, SaFE CEO Salimatou Fatty, said the objective of the step-down training was to share the knowledge she gained at the conference she attended in Abuja, Nigeria through YIAGA as well as give young people of the Gambia the opportunity to have knowledge on policy advocacy and civic engagement
“Advocacy is speaking up, drawing a community’s attention to an important issue, and directing decision-makers towards a solution.
“Advocacy is a series of actions directed at changing the policies, positions or programmes of any type of institution be it at the local, national or international level,” she said.
Salimatou urged government to promote children’s right to education and ensure they are taken off the streets. She said the foundation is equally doing its part in the promotion of children’s welfare, especially in education.
“We embarked on school and community sensitization on the right to education, provide scholarships to the needy students and also we are currently working on a pilot project to build two blocks of nursery school classes for the community of Fufo village in Foni,” she added.
Muhammed Kebbeh, a volunteer at Salimatou Foundation for Education, said: “The step-down training is significant to us, especially for the young people who specialise on advocacy work. I believe that before we go to the fields to advocate, we have to be well educated in advocacy skills. This training will further help me to know what is advocacy and how we can go about it and the methods of advocacy.”
Muhammed added that their work is mainly centered on education because they believe that education is the masterpiece of everything.
Salimatou Fatty was among over 100 youths who participated in youth empowerment forum held in Abuja, Nigeria.
