By Fatou Saho
The University of The Gambia Debate Association (UTGDA) has organized a four-day capacity building seminar for 100 students from different high schools and tertiary institutions in urban Gambia.
The training was supported by the UTG executives, NaNA and NHRC, who also see to it that students are enlightened in relation to their human rights.
Aminata LB Ceesay, an investigator at the NHRC, said the purpose of the commission’s engagement in the UTGDA capacity building training is to ensure that students are sensitized on human rights issues. “We talked to the students about our role and mandate and also the complaint mechanisms for them to know the procedures to take when their rights are violated”, she highlighted.
A beneficiary of the training and a member of the UTG Debate Association, Modou Lamin Demba, said it is a pleasure for him to be among the trainees, adding that it will help in building their confidence in public speaking and debate. He urged the UTGDA to continue trainings like this every year.
The vice president of the UTGDA, Alieu Saho, said it is part of the association’s mandate to create as much awareness as possible and that was why the association came up with this capacity building training. He stressed that the training is not the first time.
“We started this training last year, and we will continue doing it. We will be travelling to the rural Gambia in August to train and as well advocate the importance of university education, human rights and migration issues”, he added.
Meanwhile, the UTGDA’s president Adama Sohna, said the week activities include food handler training, dispatch and concept note writing which she mentioned are not taught in schools.
