By Yankuba Jallow
The Gambia National Youth Council (NYC), in partnership with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th April, 2018, organized a two-day capacity building workshop for young and newly elected Ward Councilors in The Gambia.
According to the organizers, the aim of the 2 day capacity building workshop was to broaden the knowledge of Councilors on the Local Government Act, the National Youth Policy, The National Development Plan, Project Proposal Development and Resource Mobilization strategies, to make their work effective in delivering service to the communities who have entrusted them with the responsibility.
Mr. Dembo Kambi, Chairman, said the NYC was established by an Act of the National Assembly to coordinate, supervise and advise Government on youth matters.
“And that makes our role very strategic, when it comes to the participation of youth, in the socio economic development of our Nation. This cannot be achieved when young people do not participate in the political space of our Nation”, he said.
He urged the newly elected Councilors to defend the interest of young people in their communities during their Council meetings.
The country representative of Konrade Adenauer-Stiftung in Senegal said it was in February when they made their presence as a political foundation in the Gambia.
He congratulated the newly elected Councilors and informed them of their task ahead which he said, they should fulfill.
He said freedom, justice and solidarity is the basic principle of their foundation that is closely associated with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.
Also speaking at the opening ceremony was Mr. Lamin Dibba, the Minister of Local Government and Lands. “Councilors are very important because they will be the decision-making body of their Institution’’, he said.
Mr. Dibba encouraged female youth to work side by side with men, in national development.
