By: Momodou S Gagigo
The Sare Chikam Youth Association (SCYA) has distributed school materials and awards to students in Sare Chikam as part of its 4th Annual Students’ Support Program, held on September 5, 2026, in Sare Chikam, Upper Niumi District.
The ceremony brought together students, parents, community elders, youth representatives and other residents to celebrate academic achievement and press for greater community investment in education.
SCYA Chairperson Assan Bah said the program reflected the association’s commitment to supporting children and contributing to village development. “When we support one student, we are supporting the entire village,” Bah said.
He said the association provided exercise books to households, while giving school bags and uniforms to 11 outstanding students from primary to senior secondary level. The best-performing student in each category also received a cash prize.
Guest speaker Fatou Faal, Senior Legal Officer at the Medicines Control Agency, told students not to allow their background or hardships to limit their ambitions. “Where you come from does not have to determine where you are going,” Faal said.
She described her own path from completing senior secondary school in 2011 to becoming a lawyer and Senior Legal Officer, saying success required discipline, patience, hard work and perseverance.
Faal recalled studying for her Bar examinations while caring for her newborn child, saying there were moments when giving up seemed easier. “Education can open the door, but you have to be willing to walk through it,” she said.
She urged students to dream big and reminded those who did not receive awards that academic setbacks should not discourage them.
Amadou A.O. Bah, a Senior Public Health Officer at the Ministry of Health, appealed to parents to take greater responsibility for their children’s schooling.
“I want to appeal to parents to take their children’s education seriously. Never undermine your child’s education because no one knows where their education will take them in the future,” he said.
He also called on fathers to play an active role in monitoring their children’s education rather than leaving the duty largely to mothers.
Abdoulie S. Bah, Treasurer of the Upper Niumi District Youth Committee, commended SCYA and described the association as an example for other youth groups in the district. He noted that SCYA was among the first youth associations in the district to secure registration at both national and regional levels.
“There cannot be any development in any country without education,” he said, urging students to compete academically and continually improve themselves.
Parents welcomed the support. Madam Hawa Jallow thanked SCYA for what she called a benevolent gesture that would ease financial pressure on families.
“This support will go a long way in reducing the burden on us – parents,” she said, praying that the association would continue to help students. SCYA was established in September 2017 as a non-profit, non-political organization committed to promoting unity, youth participation, and development in Sare Chikam. Through its annual students’ support program, the association continues to encourage academic excellence while helping families meet some of the rising costs of educating their children.
