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Green to Wealth & Renaissance ICT Project

The Gambia is abundantly blessed with renewable natural resources, which if properly harnessed, will transform this country into an economic powerhouse. However, most Gambians are not really aware of the great possibilities their country offers for economic empowerment. Ours has become a case of self-inflicted poverty. This has resulted in unemployment, frustrations, and the illegal migration of many Gambian youths to Europe. To help stop the illegal migration and create employment, train Gambians to become great entrepreneurs through utilizing the country’s agricultural resources are the specific aim of the project. ICTs can empower young people as learners, promote changes and foster the development of ‘21st Century skills, transforming learning processes, resulting in increased learning gains for youths, creating and allowing for opportunities for them to develop their creativity, problem-solving abilities, informational reasoning skills, communication skills, and other higher-order thinking skills required for this digital age. Young Gambians, including students, need to be told that there is no wisdom in abandoning school to migrate illegally. They have to understand that being serious with their studies will position them for future greatness, as a university degree and professional qualifications can earn them good jobs at home and abroad, as well as enable them to travel to any part of the World they want with dignity.

Background (Organisation)

Xxxxxx is an organization with a mission to respond positively to the increasing demands for better livelihood attainment for children, youths, women, adults and entire communities; to impact the needy/vulnerable individually and collectively in alleviating poverty; to impact positively on lives and save destinies; adhere to the principles of Sustainable Development; mobilize internal and external resources (Human, Physical and Financial) for community development; to serve as an entry point for all external development interventions in rural communities; to identify, plan and manage community projects aimed at promoting quality of life and the socio-economic welfare of the community in a lawful manner; to assist members to become pro-active, productive and self-reliant within the society; to work hand-in-glove with the government of the day, local institutions, International organizations and philanthropists for the advancement of the society. xxxxxx, also has, among its objectives, to rally Gambians, especially youths, to use the country’s renewable resources to achieve economic development; to produce successful young Gambian entrepreneurs; help drastically reduce unemployment in order to put a stop to the illegal migration of Gambian youths to Europe; to help make Gambia self-sufficient in food production; to make Gambia become a net exporter of food etc.

Project Background

    • Justification

The Gambia is abundantly blessed with renewable natural resources, which if properly harnessed, will transform this country into an economic powerhouse. However, most Gambians are not really aware of the great possibilities their country offers for economic empowerment. Ours has become a case of self-inflicted poverty. This has resulted to unemployment, frustrations and the illegal migration of many Gambian youths to Europe.

Most people from West Africa that entered Europe illegally are usually categorized as ‘economic migrants’, and not qualified for political asylum. The EU is now tightening its borders and plans to eventually deport all economic migrants back to their home countries. To be awash with angry and frustrated youths bodes ill for any country.

There is need to properly sensitize Gambians of all ages, make them realize that Africa, including their country is the next frontier for development, help them identify the very many economic opportunities at home, train them on how to utilize these opportunities, especially in the area of agriculture, agro-processing and agribusiness, in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Aims/Objective

    • To help stop the illegal migration of young Gambians to Europe via the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea.
    • Reduce unemployment, especially for young people
    • To train Gambians to become great entrepreneurs through utilizing the country’s agricultural resources.
    • To enhance the revenue-generating potentials of agriculture, agro-processing and agri-business.
    • Help youths to identify foreign markets for agricultural produce/fisheries
    • Help develop networks between Gambian youths and Europe-based companies
    • Support economic cross-border activities in border cities and markets

Specific Activities

    • The Project will build a model agricultural Centre in Pakalinding Village in the Lower River Region of The Gambia, as a farmer field school for training Gambian youths in agriculture, agro-processing and agribusiness. The project will also construct four fish ponds, and a building containing three-classrooms for IT training and one office.
    • The Project will cultivate at least 5 horticultural gardens with an average of 10 ha and a minimum of 5ha.
    • The project will cultivate at least five banana plantations with an average of 10 ha and a minimum of 5ha.
    • The Project will plant 100 (one hundred) export variety mango trees, as well as 100 cashew trees as the foundation for the activities to be embarked upon in subsequent phases of the project.
    • The Project will (a) sink one borehole (b)construct 3 concrete lined wells (c) install 5 water storage tanks (d) install five solar panels and pumps for the boreholes (E) purchase 20 power tillers.
    • The Project will engage on a part-time basis, agricultural experts/extension facilitators equipped with the requisite skills and knowledge to effectively serve as instructors in a model agricultural Centre and farmer field school. They will be responsible for instructing trainees on the proper application of all recommended agricultural practices in Crop Science, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, as well as managing on-farm research, water use management and other priorities.

Renaissance ICT Training

Renaissance ICT Training is a key component of the project that also targets students, and will be implemented in partnership with Cinchips Institute, a leading skills and professional training provider in The Gambia, registered with and fully accredited by the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA). It is meant to help the beneficiaries get grounded in Information Communication and Technologies (ICT), as well as preparing them for the future through guiding them to make good career choices.

There is need for young people, including students in secondary schools, to be well informed so that they can be better prepared for the future with the right mindset. ICTs can empower young people as learners, promote change and foster the development of ‘21st Century skills’, transforming learning processes, resulting in increased learning gains for youths, creating and allowing for opportunities for them to develop their creativity, problem-solving abilities, informational reasoning skills, communication skills, and other higher-order thinking skills required for this digital age.

Young Gambians, including students, need to be told that there is no wisdom in abandoning school to migrate illegally. They have to understand that being serious with their studies will position them for future greatness, as a university degree and professional qualifications can earn them good jobs at home and abroad, as well as enable them to travel to any part of the World they want with dignity.

Objectives

    • To familiarize Gambian youths with ICT, which empowers them as learners, promote change and foster the development of ‘21st Century skills’, transforming learning processes, resulting in increased learning gains for the students, creating and allowing for opportunities for them to develop their creativity, problem-solving abilities, informational reasoning skills, communication skills, and other higher-order thinking skills required for this digital age.
    • To enable participants to become computer literate, with the ability to handle data, knowledge of all the office computer packages like Windows Fundamentals, Microsoft Word Processing, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Microsoft PowerPoint etc.
    • To counsel and assist youths with all their career questions; helping them discover who they are and how that affects career choices, what careers are really like, what majors are best for their chosen field, discover and learn more about their hidden strengths and aptitudes, and get informed about what jobs are growing/declining in the coming years.
    • To make beneficiaries aware of the Computing, Accounting, Management and English
    • Language professional qualifications like ACCA, CIMA, CISCO, A+, N+ AIESEC etc., which can secure them high-paying jobs locally and internationally. (Even university degree holders also seek to acquire such qualifications, which greatly increase their chances in the local and international job market).
    • To make them understand that a good education with the right professional qualifications places them at a vantage position to become global citizens that can travel all over the World with ease rather than subjecting themselves to the indignities of illegal migration through a perilous desert and sea journey.
    • Use the internet to reveal to the young people the realities of life for illegal African immigrants in Europe.
    • Guide the beneficiaries on ‘identifying opportunities in The Gambia’, especially with regard to becoming future big-time entrepreneurs in agriculture, agro-processing and agribusiness.
    • Guide them to use the internet to search for foreign markets for Gambian products; where they can export to, scout for international business partners etc.

Business Training

The Project will also select 60 (sixty) Gambian youths every six months to be trained to become successful entrepreneurs. Beneficiaries will undergo a 6-month Certificate Diploma Course in Business Management (to be organized in collaboration with Cinchips Institute). Candidates will be lectured on six modules.

Impact/Expected Outcomes of Green to Wealth & Renaissance ICT Project (Phase One)

    • Irregular migration of young Gambians to Europe will be drastically reduced
    • Gambian get adequately informed about the economic opportunities in their country
    • Young Gambians learn to maximally exploit their country’s renewable natural resources (especially agriculture)
    • Gambia’s agricultural sector is boosted
    • Gambian youths become high-profile entrepreneurs
    • More employment opportunities are created
    • Gambian youths get grounded in ICT; acquire computing skills
    • Gambian youths able to make career choices that better reflect their unique gifts
    • Gambian youths understand that there are international academic qualifications that will make them become global citizens

Gambian youths get motivated and determined to pursue their education to the highest level.

Monitoring /Evaluation

    • The progress and successes registered by the project will be closely monitored by Xxxxxx as well as experts delegated by the funding agency and other stakeholders.
    • A report will be prepared and submitted to the funding agency and other stakeholders at the end of the project.