The Tekki Fii project funded by the European Union (E.U.), through GIZ continues to initiate projects geared towards empowering Gambian youths so that they understand the need to stay home and shape their own future whilst contributing to Gambia’s sustainable development.  

The project invests in nurturing skills to boost young technicians and youth-led businesses because it does make a lot of economic sense for individuals and the country at large.  

To this effect, the project embarked on another initiative in Soma, Lower River Region where Boys’ Scout and Girls Guide Skills Training Centres had been completely dormant for many years. The EU through GIZ helped revive the two centres by retooling them and by providing technical support. 

The handing-over ceremony was graced among other prominent figures by the Chief of Jarra West who thanked the EU and GIZ for reopening the two skills training centres. The tools and equipment handed over to the centres were in the form of equipment for various trades such as hairdressing equipment, cosmetology, garment-making, as well as small ruminants and poultry for the animal husbandry courses.  

The presentations were led by the dignitaries’, who afterwards expressed their profound gratitude to the EU and GIZ for contributing their quota for young people in The Gambia. 

In a brief interview, the Deputy Governor of LRR, Mr Kebba Darboe, emphasized that the project paved the way for involvement in industry development. “It will expose our youths to learn more skills, develop themselves and be better assets of the community to reduce rural-urban, and most importantly illegal migration,” he reiterated. 

Instilling confidence in the youths, shaping their mindsets so that they believe in this country enough to want to ‘MAKE IT HERE’, supporting and empowering young Gambians is a continuous process for the GIZ team. The presentation thus concluded with smiles on everyone’s face and indeed hope for a better Gambia, with youths at the forefront.