Youths Against Irregular Migration (YAIM) has launched a sensitization campaign against irregular migration to create awareness about irregular migration and cut down its incident n the Gambia.
The team held talks with the students of Pakaliba basic cycle and Japineh as returnees shared their experiences and opportunities available for young people in the new Gambia with the students.
Ismaila Sambou, president of the Gambia Youth Chamber of Commerce (GYCC) told the gathering that he is not against irregular migration because there are factors leading to it and what should be done is to empower those who went and come back.
“The monies spent on the perilous journey can create a startup business for someone. I am a graduate but when I realized that I cannot find a job for myself then I decided to join Youth work to build my capacity and to I am leading an organization same time a commercial farmer he disclosed,” he said.
He challenged the youth folk to engage into business agriculture in particular to reduce the dependency ratio while Sainey Darboe a student at Pakaliba basic cycle urged his fellow students to stay away from back way while encouraging them to utilize the opportunities available for them in the country.
However, the team called for end to irregular migration thus creating awareness on the perilous journey as they shared some of the dangers of the journey.
The team commenced a ten days caravan sensitization caravan in the Lower River Region to create awareness among young people village heads, religious heads, women leaders and other pertinent stakeholders on irregular migration
Mustapha Sallah, sectary general said the caravan would avail them the opportunity to interact and share with their fellow young people in rural Gambia most of who are affected by the irregular migration syndrome.
“We will challenge the government, NGOs, and the international community to consider YAIM and to join us in the fight against irregular migration,” he said.
A young female returnee, Fatou Cham shared her experience as she recounted her story of life in Libya.
Another female returnee, Oumie Camara moved away from the crowd with tears rolling down her face recalling her own painful experiences.
She said: “It was a visible that the message sang into the hearts of many of the gathered community leaders and villagers didn’t not know that the migrants go through such things on the journey to Europe, we encouraged them to go because they had ambitions to make lives better for us here and there were no jobs they could do here.”
