Crr — The Global Youth Innovation Network Gambia Chapter (GYIN Gambia Chapter) on Wednesday July 24 launched 'I AM A GYINer Competition' in Janjangbureh, CRR. GYIN Gambia Chapter is the legitimate national representative and Chapter of the Global Youth Innovation Network International with its headquarters in Washington DC in the United States of America. The organisation aims to contribute to the reduction of poverty among poor rural youths in The Gambia through exposure to opportunities and business prospects, innovation, and knowledge on replicable youth success models, income generating as well as to enable them to create and engage in sustainable small-scale agri-business and entrepreneurship.

In his launching address, the governor of the Central River Region, Alh. Ganyie Touray, spoke extensively on the importance of GYIN, noting that the network also aims to establish youth entrepreneurs' networks and clubs across all the regions and municipalities in the country, in a bid to nurture and prepare youths to venture into entrepreneurship and agri-business for their livelihood. He posited that GYIN Gambia Chapter recognises and values the diversities in all aspects of a person by focusing on different strengths, ideas, talents, creativities, experiences and energies to achieve its mission and vision. The CRR governor opined that the launching of 'I AM A GYINer campaign' in the rural regions of the country is a clear indication that all the young people are interconnected. He remarked that the government of The Gambia, under the visionary leadership of President Jammeh, since 1994 has placed great emphasis on youth development. He pointed out that the creation of NYSS, National Youth Council, the President International Award (PIA), and youth representative in the National Assembly, are all clear testimonies of youth empowerment initiatives in the country. The Rural Finance Project Coordinator, Lamin Fatajo, said GYIN Gambia Chapter is committed to capitalising on the global and national entrepreneurial spirit of young women and men to overcome poverty and build healthy society for Gambian communities. He further stated that they all believe that with the spirit of entrepreneurship sweeping across the globe, this platform could possibly be a more convenient and better way for young entrepreneurs, particularly in rural areas, to share, learn, exchange experiences, innovation, ideas and to network among themselves in space and time without considering physical barriers.

He noted that it is under the leadership of President Jammeh that agriculture has made tremendous strides to become an area of significant active economy, out of which several types of vibrant, small agro-enterprises have evolved. These, he added, include cereal processing, produce retailing and wholesaling, juice making and other related small-scale agro-processing businesses. The GYIN Gambia Chapter National coordinator, Mamadou Edirissa Njie, gave a brief history of GYIN Gambia Chapter. He said that it is a youth-led initiative, which is entirely run and managed by young people with strategic support from GYIN international and sponsor partners. He further explained that the objective of GYIN -Gambia Chapter is to create and support an enabling environment under which young people in the country can act on their own and on their own terms, and to facilitate exchange of experiences, learning and networking for young entrepreneurs. He then commended the Rural Finance Project and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) project in The Gambia.

Other speakers included Lamin Badji and Alieu Mbow, community development officers CRR south and north. The programme was chaired by Abdourahman Sallah.