The Gambian Students’ Association in the Kingdom of Morocco is set to commemorate another student week on the 13th of August on the theme “Entrepreneurship and Good governance: Youth, The Future Leaders of Africa.” It will be a week-long training on leadership, Debate, quiz, sports, graduation, and so on.
(Advertisement)
In a special interview with the current President of the Association, Mr. Omar Touray informs this medium that the inspiration behind this year’s theme is the need for an adequate conversation about the involvement of young people in the affairs of our nations (Africa). In his own words,“ The magnitude of the theme comes with it a tendency to raise questions on why not take something simpler and more of our level as students. I think as youth, we should be equally or even more interested and engaged in big topics of discussion as we are the ones to govern our country in a few years. The earlier we undertake such discussions, I think the better it will hone our subconscious minds such that when the time comes for us to play our part, it will be something we are already familiar with and have tinkered with. This familiarity will also make us innovate in our ways and not copy-paste the methods implemented by an older generation.”
When asked why to broaden the topic to Africa and not limit it to just the Gambia? Mr. Touray replied that “ Why broaden it to Africa? I think it’s very crucial that within the leadership discussions of Gambian youth, we include the Pan-African way of thinking. All African countries have similar problems and those problems can be traced back to the same roots. Our destiny is heavily intertwined and tackling things from the roots (continental) and a unity perspective will give us a more oriented, effective, and sustainable way of tackling our national problems.”
The Student Association came into being in the year 2004 with the main aim of promoting the spirit of unionism among The Gambian students in the kingdom. They have been in 2017 awarded the best Student Association in Morocco by CESAM (a body of all African Students’ Associations in Morocco).