Are we surprised that only 1 in 5 of Gambian youth are employed in
agriculture while 2 out of 3 are "bana bana" or street-hawks? Really?
What does employment in agriculture in the Gambia look like these days?
"Volunteering" at Mr. Jammeh's farm;  guarding his Farato farm, or
herding his cattle at Yundum; selling his farm produce  or contemplating
whether one smuggles their groundnut harvest to Senegal or give it to
Mr. Jammeh's Gambia Groundnut Corporation (GGC) for a promissory note?

I hope all involve in this realize that our youth are not "nyaka fayda"
or "mo furingho lu". They would rather be" beach bomsers", street
vendors, "ataya vous"  crawlers than serving as Mr. Jammeh's personal
entertainers, toys and indentured servants. Some kid once said to me
that he rather die [in the Sahara desert or the Mediterranean] searching
for a dignified life in Europe than live in today's Gambia.

Malanding Jaiteh



  Only 20% of Gambian youth are employed in agriculture – UNDP

Africa <http://thepoint.gm/africa/news>»Gambia
<http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/news>
Friday, October 24, 2014
The United Nations System in The Gambia has said that only 20% of
Gambian youth are involved in agriculture, despite The Gambia being a
youthful nation with the youth constituting 60% of the total population.

While the UN System in The Gambia joins the rest of the world to
commemorate UN Day today 24 October, it states in a press release sent
yesterday to The Point that the majority of the 60% of youth in the
country work in the service sector.

“This exclusion not only denies the country productive capacity for
enhancing food security but it also undermines job opportunities,
compounding youth poverty,” the release said.

Against this backdrop and as the UN family celebrates the 69th
anniversary of the United Nations, it notes, “we are calling for
national strategies for involving the youth in agriculture.”

This year, the United Nations System in The Gambia chooses the theme
“Youth: A Valuable Partner in Improving Food Security and Reducing
Poverty” to commemorate UN Day.

The release concludes: “The United Nations System in The Gambia avails
itself of this opportunity to thank the Government and People of the
Republic of The Gambia as well as all its partners for their fruitful
contributions to promoting the work of the United Nations in The Gambia.”

As part of events marking the UN Day, the United Nations System, in
collaboration with the Government of the Republic of The Gambia, plans
to undertake the following activities:

•Televised statements by theUN Resident Coordinator

•A mini exhibition at the Kairaba Beach Hotel showcasing the work of the
UN in The Gambia

•A live radio quiz competition for children between the ages 7 – 17

There will also be a reception for UN Staff, Government officials, the
diplomatic missions and development partners from 6 to 8 p.m. at the
Kairaba Beach Hotel where the Resident Coordinator will read the UN
Secretary General’s statement and also deliver an address on the
country-specific theme.This will be followed by a statement by the
Government of The Gambia.

Author:*Osman Kargbo*
Source:*Picture: Ade Mamonyane Lekoetje is UN System Resident
Coordinator in The Gambia*



¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤