The regional youth chairperson for the North Bank Region, Pa Modou Gaye, has told the Minister of Youth and Sports and his team to provide them with sustainable projects that the young people of the region can rely on for development, saying that many backway returnees are jobless in their villages.
Gaye was speaking on behalf of the people of his region when the minister and his delegation visited the region as part of his annual nationwide visit to different youth projects across the country.
“We are calling on you and partners to come and intervene in the North Bank. Bring us sustainable projects that the young people of this region can rely on for their development. I have seen great potential in many youths here that are into entrepreneurship. And if they are supported, they are future millionaires that can support many other young people in this country,” Gaye claimed.
The North Bank Region is one of the most affected regions in the country in terms of a large population of migrants through the down way to Europe. Gaye acknowledged that the region is a hot spot, and a recent survey done by the youth indicated that every village has data of at least 30 people that have embarked on the journey. Among them, the unsuccessful ones are back home and not doing anything to regurgitate their dreams.
“We understand the issue of illegal migration, in which North Bank is a hot spot zone. Just two months back, we were trying to make a statistic, and you will see that when you go to a certain village of less than one thousand five hundred people, they give you data of 30 people who have taken the back way journey. In Bambaali alone, we were given 26 people, most of whom are returnees, and they are sitting in their villages without doing anything,” he said.
Through the President International Award (PIA), the minister and his team promised to create more young people in the region to be trained in skills. The team encourages the youth leaders to publicize the importance of suck skill centers to attract more young people to be enrolled and trained.
