By Kebba Y. Manneh

Exactly thirty years ago in 1980, when as a newly qualified teacher, I led the then McCarthy Island

Division (MID) now Central River Region (CRR) contingent to the Farrafenni Youth Week as it was then

called by virtue of my position as the Secretary General of MID committee hitherto, the year’s under

review is one of novelty due to the following:
1. No sports programme - exclusively youth confab and culture,
2. The translation of the National Anthem in the vernacular,
3. The involvement of Ministers, Secretary General, Secretary to Cabinet and Permanent Secretaries

to dialogue with the youths,
4. The centralization of all participants at one venue,
5. The running of the show entirely by the youths themselves.
Expect for one and five above which seem to still raise some eyebrows, the three augured well for

the success of the episode as all was well done and throughout a jaw-jaw format of the dialogue that

I always proffer to better dear motherland Gambia-No Problem, as this can enhance that  slogan. Hope

there will be continuity to the apex where the youths can now (have a tet a tet) ‘JAKARRLO’ with

H.E. the President for posterity! Food for thought!
On the eyebrows, as raised in my interventions at both the confab as a veteran youth leader being

the first nationally elected chairman of youth leaders and at the cultural festival where I was

amongst a panel of judges as the chief to select the best of the best of the transcription of the

National Anthem. My exhortations of partnership with older youths must be if we are thrive as

youngsters. On the lack of sporting programmes the razzmatazz, euphoria and exuberance elude us

hence few knew the evens as they transpired.
However, the consolation herein is that, this is a novelty for sports to take centre stage at the

next one and more so that is going to be at my own backyard in CRR. As the last time CRR had it will

be twenty years, we hope to put up a better if not the best by involving all our major towns

spreading activities all over Bansang, Janjanbureh, Kuntaurr, Kaur, Dankunku, Kudang and Brikamaba

to make it unique. Are we cognizant of what this can achieve? CRR citizens and residents therefore

brace up!
Overall, therefore, the episode was fantastic as the week long interactive sessions had all it takes

to get our youth cohort to understand their roles and obligations.
The more of such the better for our Nation! Kudos to the Ministry of Youth and Sports especially the

Minister who has real foresights and affable pragmatic and candid Permanent Secretary who are really

steering our youth populace in the right direction with the active involvement of the National

Organizing Committee in special mention of Mbaye Bittaye, Matty Jobe and Lamin Sanyang of the

National Council for Arts and Culture who was really the anchor man hence the lifeline of the entire

episode.
To the participants more grease to wash your elbows for in spite of the few squabbles all went well,

thanks to ancillary staff of cooks, drivers and other support staff. Can we give three cheers to all

and hope that our resolutions and recommendations will not gather dust on some shelves in our

offices. Can we follow up by asking for a Mid-term Review in concert with H.E. the President in

conformity with my earlier proposal of dialoguing with the Apex of Hegemony? Awaiting a response,

another adieu, this time the youth cohort and elder men on retirement only awaiting consultancies.