Youth-Led Association Urges Youths to Engage in Community Development

Aims Forward Foundation Vice and Assistant Secretary General (c) Askanwi

By Edward Francis Dalliah

Youth-led association, Aims Forward Foundation has called on Gambian youths to take up more  responsibility and engage in community development as a way of helping the government in nation-building.

Speaking to our reporter during a community cleansing and tree planting exercise on 14th September 2024 at Erinjang Bridge near Latrikunda, the Vice President of the Association, Sanna Jammeh highlighted that “most of the time the youth sit and start blaming the government, saying that they are not doing this or that, but, as youth we [should] take up the responsibility in making sure we help the government in nation development”.

According to the recently released 2024 Population and Housing Census Preliminary Report, the Gambian population “is predominantly youthful with 40.8 per cent under 15 years of age and only 3 per cent aged 65 and over”. Last year the 2023 Employment Survey revealed that “almost half of the youths are under-utilised. On average, six in ten youth work as self-employed and are mainly engaged in informal employment. Gender disparities persist, young women are worse off than young males”.

GBOS 2024 Prelim Census Data (c) GBOS

This highlights that unemployment is high amongst Gambian Youths but the Assistant Secretary general does not believe this should hold youths back. Ms Isatou Konta told our reporter that the youth “don’t have to wait for the president to do all the work for [them]”, she believes as youth they “are vibrant, strong and healthy so [they] can work develop [their] communities”.

Aims Forward Association was formed in July 2023 by young students of Sheikh Mass Kah Senior Secondary School with one of their teachers, Mr Ebrima Colley, to help the needy while contributing to national development. Now the association has brought together various individuals from different schools some of which have completed senior secondary education.

Ms Isatou Konta noted that although their association is not well-known, they are open to everybody, in the Gambia or the diaspora. With regards to funding, she noted that they are a self-funded association even though most of them are unemployed but they “try to contribute and raise funds [and] sometimes seek donations from the community”.

She added that the Councilor of Kotu-Manjai Ward, Mr Lamin Jammeh has also supported them in their cleansing and tree-planting exercise after paying him a visit recently.

Pledging his continued support for the association Councilor Jammeh stated that “when we have an organization like this, that will always join hands with their ward counsellor and their community, I think we can move the community forward and this is what they have started. If they continue with it, I think we will have a better and clean community”.

Councilor Lamin Jammeh (c) Askanwi