The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Jakong Jabbi
12 November 2009
column
Following the presentation of CD cassettes to the president, His Excellency Shiekh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, through the Ministry of Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters, last Wednesday, members of the Operation No Back way to Europe (ONBE), have commended the Fisheries Ministry for the donation of 65 litres of petrol to the association as their contribution towards their Operation No Back way to Europe intended country wide campaign against illegal migration.
In an interview with the Daily Observer, Awa Jobateh- Njie, vice chairperson of ONBE, said that her association was formed by individuals from various field of work ranging from scholars, experience and resource persons, NGOs agriculturists, economists, social and other development workers amongst others, who realized their own part in achieving some of the government incorporated vision 2020 enshrined in the countryÂ's strategic documents.
According to her, her organisation is the brainchild of Babucarr Jabbi, who spearheaded them in all their entanglement out of severe personal ordeal he encountered, after trying for three consecutive years to no avail but resulted in the lost of time and property. She that her organisation has a national executive which is the highest decision making body running its affairs.She said the executive body is in constant contact with its regional representatives and council of elder. Mrs Njie said the aim of her association is to enhance youth empowerment as a means of replacing the aging population of all walks of life, noting that this is achievable with improved monitoring, assessments and evaluation strategies acquired from various skill training centres as a required source of manpower. Â"We send a handful of our members to NYSS for training.
We also participate in gardening where transplanting from nursery to seedbeds takes place as well as liasing with other stakeholders for the signing of many more memorandum of understanding in diverse fields of operation such as construction industries,Â" she said. She disclosed that the project intends to acquire plots of land for horticulture, poultry, livestock and animal husbandry across the country for sustainability and in this way they hope to build confidence in the hearts and minds of youths and their parents as partners in development.This she said are strategies to disuade them (youths)from risking their lives through the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean sea.
For his part, Sarja Suwareh, CEO of the association, revealed that ONBE has low financial bases and this impedes their progress, slow achievements of their noble objectives and nearly stops their plans of action quite often.He decried the fact that without timely intervention by benevolent philanthropist most of their programs would fail. Awa Jobateh -Njie, he said, gave the organisation an office and some equipment, fishing boat, sponsor production of a video clip for sensitisation, and many other things.
He said his organisation prays and hopes to discover many more philanthropists to help them realised their objectives, which is in itself a Â'JihadÂ' to salvage life and property. Their members are solemnly optimistic of achieving their targets through hard work to which they are prepared to offer on voluntary base as far as their ability and resources can last. He concluded by thanking the ministry of Fisheries and the NYSS for their wonderful contributions to his organisation.
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