In a bold effort to tackle one of the nation’s most pressing social issues, Children’s Foundation The Gambia (CFG) has launched the “Stories of Hope” project, a comprehensive five-year program designed to educate and empower 5,000 young Gambians on the perils of irregular migration while promoting viable local opportunities for growth and self-reliance.
The official launch took place in Manduar, Lower River Region (LRR), coinciding with Day 3 of the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ nationwide tour.
The event drew high-profile attendees, including Honourable Bakary Y. Badjie, Minister of Youth and Sports; Seedy Lamin Bah, Governor of the Lower River Region; the Chairman of the Mansa Konko Area Council, Hon. Landing Sanneh; Hon. Lamin Ceesay, National Assembly Member for Kiang West; and other community and religious leaders.
CFG Founding Chairman and Board Chairperson Nfamara Dabo delivered the keynote address, tracing the organization’s 15-year evolution from a community-based group established in August 2010 to a key player in rural child and youth development. “This project represents a turning point,” Dabo said, emphasizing CFG’s focus on education, skills training, and empowerment in underserved areas.
Since partnering with Sweden’s Aspeboda Foundation for Children in 2012, CFG has built sustainable programs, including sponsoring 105 children with free education, healthcare, and support—seven of whom have completed Grade 12 and are pursuing higher studies. Milestones include Manduar’s first nursery school in 2020, now enrolling 52 early learners, and an annual Summer Life Skills Camp reaching over 1,200 youths in six years. The 2022 Mentorship and Skills Development Programme provides hands-on training in bakery, tailoring, carpentry, poultry, construction, agriculture, painting, and basic computer skills.
A highlight of the launch was the personal story of Omar Jammeh, a former sponsored child who attempted the dangerous “backway” irregular route but returned home. Through CFG’s mentorship, he gained carpentry skills and is now launching the community’s first carpentry workshop—embodying themes of redemption and local opportunity.
Central to “Stories of Hope” is collaboration with Brother Musa Darboe, author of The First Drop, a memoir chronicling his harrowing irregular journey from The Gambia across the Sahara and Mediterranean to Italy, followed by his return and reintegration. Darboe’s narrative serves as a cautionary yet inspiring tool, highlighting the risks of migration—exploitation, death, and hardship—while underscoring resilience and the potential for success at home.
The project, running from September 2025 to December 2030, partners with The First Drop Initiative, Italy’s Fattoria Sociale Monte Pacini, and The Gambia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports. It targets youth aged 13-30 directly, with indirect benefits for 45,000 parents, educators, and leaders through community storytelling events, workshops on legal migration pathways and socio-economic impacts, nationwide media campaigns on radio, TV, and social media, parental programs, peer mentorship, a new youth skills center in LRR, and an exchange program sending Gambian youth to Italy for training.
Minister Badjie praised CFG’s vision, stating that the government alone cannot drive development. “When communities lead with initiatives like this, government is ready to partner, support, and strengthen their impact,” he said, pledging ongoing collaboration.
The launch aligns with urgent national concerns: International Organization for Migration data shows thousands of Gambians attempting the backway annually, facing high fatality rates amid youth unemployment. By combining awareness with practical skills and community infrastructure, “Stories of Hope” aims to reduce irregular migration, bolster local economies, and inspire a generation to build sustainable futures at home.
As Dabo noted, investing in youth creates enduring hope and national progress. The initiative reflects growing recognition that stories of struggle, when paired with education and opportunity, can transform despair into determination for Gambia’s young people.
