By Momodou Jarju
Gambian environmentalist, Ousainu Colley, alias Ousainu-Gambia, has been named winner of The Stone Circle’s Youth Excellence Award (YEA) 2020.
Colley is described by many as a patriot and prolific environmentalist whose selfless service to sustainable development has significantly impacted not just on his intervention areas, but has gone far enough to inspire a generation to volunteerism and service to community.
The award is given in commemoration of the International Youth Day – the UN’s annual celebration of the role of young people in creating positive change across the world.
The Stone Circle Awards is The Gambia’s premiere youth-led and youth-focused media that puts the spotlight on young people and their invaluable contributions to self and national development.
The Youth Excellence Awards is The Stone Circle Awards’ flagship initiative that annually acknowledges and celebrates the outstanding achievements of young people who are making significant contributions to national development.
Reacting to the award, Ousainu-Gambia expressed his delight to have been the awardee of the 2020 prestigious youth award.
“I feel so honoured and excited to win this year’s Youth Excellence Award. I am the lucky winner but there are many others like me,” Ousainu said.
Award-winner Ousainu-Gambia dedicates his award to Gambian women and all the frontline workers in the fight against Covid-19.
Ousainu is the Programme Officer of Green-Up Gambia and the Founder of Flag-Up Gambia. Through his sacrifice and dedication to duty, he has unreservedly contributed in helping both organizations realize their objectives.
The Managing Director of The Stone Circle Awards, Ebrima Darboe, said the story of Ousainu is that of hard work, dedication and sacrifice.
He said Ousainu showed his generation of youths that development and impact go beyond the fantasy of social media. Darboe said Ousainu’s calling is getting to the ground and doing the real work.
Director Darboe described Ousainu as a champion of environmental cleanliness and protection and tree planting, saying as a result of his unflinching love for the environment, his colleagues and volunteers at Green-Up Gambia named him the ‘Eco-Soldier’.
Darboe congratulates Ousainu and said this recognition is to celebrate his community service and dedication for what he represents.
The awards manager said The Youth Excellence Award serves to celebrate change-makers and inspire other young people to take action in their communities.
This year is the third edition. The 2018 and 2019 winners of the Youth Excellence Award were Momodou Edrissa Njie, the executive director of the Global Youth Innovative Network – Gambia Chapter and Omar Jammeh, the chairman of the NYC’s CRR Youth Committee.
