Youth Empowerment

Reaping the demographic dividend through an empowered youth

Government is determined to realize its commitment to “leave no youth behind” as it recognizes that youth are the engines of growth and are an essential pillar for anydevelopment. The goal for the sector is therefore premised on “secured sustainablelivelihood for youths through skills development, decent work and excellence in sports”. Under this theme, the major interventions include: creation of employment opportunities and entrepreneurial skills for Gambian Youth; strengthening institutional and technical capacity of youth services agencies; strengthening existing youth employment and entrepreneurship programmes; advocacy programmes and policy dialogue platforms on youth employment and entrepreneurship; a national youth development fund; entrepreneurship and skills development programmes for persons with disabilities, including financing; multipurpose youth friendly service centres across the country; increasing and improving young people’s access to quality health services including Sexual and Reproductive Health; incorporation of rights based approach to youth planning and programming and the promotion of excellence in sports. Special programmes will be designed and implemented to facilitate the placing of returning youth migrants into productive employment and society.