By Makutu Manneh
Families of Gambian youths who lost their lives at the recent incident in the Mauritanian coast have called on the Government to provide employment opportunities for youths.
They believe that with better employment, young people will desist from going through such a perilous journey.
Haddy Jobe a mother of a 15-year-old Pa Ousman Jobe who is said to be among the dead migrants said Pa Ousman is her only son and the only one taking care of her since she and Ousman’s sister are sick and bed ridden.
She urged the Gambia government to look into the situation of the youths, “Our children are migrating because they don’t see any future for themselves in the country,” she said.
She said her son is a grade 9 student whom she did not see for a while after which “I eventually heard that my only son had joined a boat bound for Europe,” she said.
“I couldn’t do anything but pray for him; but I ended up hearing that my son is part of the young youths of Barra and its surroundings whose boat capsized and they ended up losing their lives,” she lamented.
Haddy Camara mother of Dawda Faal (presumed dead) said she has warned her son several times not to take the sea route to Europe, but couldn’t stop him.
She said her 21-year-old son even avoided home because of her argument with him, “I have not seen my son for weeks and suddenly I heard that he has passed away in foreign water,” the mother sobbed.
She wept, saying she knows her son took the journey because he went to improve the life of his family.
“Let the government help our children to have jobs once they complete their schooling because the children of our country have the belief that there is no job for them here even when they complete their schoolings,” said Mrs. Camara.
