The Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) has recently ended a forum on life skills and enterprise development at the YMCA main campus along MDI road, Kanifing.

The YMCA, which is implementing a four-year project about training youths in life skills, give out loans to them and create jobs as well. The training of youths which started in 2008, trained 600 youths free of charge, under the funding of UNDP and Gamjobs.

Speaking at the occasion, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Youths and Sports, Mam Mbanjick Njie, emphasised the importance of youths venturing into skills development. He further revealed risk ventures undertaken by young people, particulars travelling to Europe by sea.

However, Njie added that the government lad on intention of stopping youths from traveling to Europe but rather taking the rightful journey.

The Youths and Sports PS used the opportunity to challenge youths to change their attitudes, stop being idle, sitting out for the whole day without venturing into skilful activities. The director of Gambia YMCA, Sam B. Thorpe said that youthsÂ' employment through vocational life skills is a key component in the socio economic development of young people, and the challenge of youth employment is huge and can only be achieved through consolidated partnership and collaboration.

He also said the Gambian young people are faced with the myriads of challenges in finding potential employment as a source or gaining income to improve their lives. The Gambia YMCA as a civil society, he added is committed to support government through the economic empowerment of the young people. Sirah Darboe, who is among the regional advocacy group in her speech requested that the line Ministry and all other ministers whose operation are inter-connected with youths to use a participatory and all-inclusive approach in supporting young people in planning.

Darboe said the young people love The Gambia and that the idea to undergo skills training is of immeseasurable importance in the economic development of The Gambia. To empower a citizen with a duty and a voice, he added is to help push away the menace of poverty, enabling the communities and families a better life full with hope.