By Rohey Cham
Saturday April 27th 2019, marked the first edition of the graduation ceremony at SS Institute of Creative Design. The ceremony was held at the School campus in Bakau after students went through a one year practical training and three months internship.
This institution was said to be established on the 3rd March 2017, owned by Gambians with the sole aim of helping the youths of The Gambia in the form of skill training. They offers lectures in Hair Dressing, Tailoring, Fashion Design, Event Planning and decoration. They now have a new branch in Brikama were they offer extra courses like sales and marketing, construction, customer service and ICT.
Yankuba Trawally the principal of the institute said the batch started with sixty-two students on October 2017 and completed on November 2018; that out of the students registered, thirty-seven completed successfully with only one male among the females who graduated.
He said twenty-four (24) could not complete there courses. “Hence, they would have to be given remedial lessons for a period of time depending on their courses and need or be ask to join the next session,” he said.
He also said they teach every youth interested including the school drop outs and the illiterate as they belief in competency. He also said any grandaunt with a shop of his/her own will be sponsored by supersonic to help them as young entrepreneurs.
Lamin Fatty underscores the role of youths in skills training. He said youths need to be trained effectively to contribute positively towards the national development of the country.
“Do not boast about the certificate you have today but boast about how to utilize it” he cited.
He told the students to stop the slogan “The Gambian youths are lazy”, adding “This is a country that no one will encourage you to the path of development,” he pointed out that in achieving this they have to develop themselves first.
“Do not only be grandaunts but stars who realize themselves and initiate it on others,” he noted.
Board Chairperson Jawo told the grandaunts people will judge the institution on how they behave. He also told them that the 5 key elements to success are; choose your passion, accept who you are, continuously, work vigorously and never give up.
“Never give as you might fail many times but keep moving and learn from your mistakes,” he further said “A nation cannot develop without skills,” he said.
Board member Abubacarr Jasseh, also the CEO of ‘Jasseh’ Investments, told graduates that Gambia should be developed by her citizens themselves. “Gambians should start embracing each other. It is not what I can do but how we can do it together,” he said. “We should use what we have, to get what we want,” he concludes.
The program ended after the grandaunts were handed their certificates and a few were given prizes for their outstanding performances throughout the course.
