Two young Gambians on Wednesday presented gifts to the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya Jammeh.

The items -sofa chairs and copies of an anthology book entitled ‘arrows of wisdom’ were respectively from Alieu Kujabi, a carpenter; and Awa Divine Bojang, an author. The gifts were received on behalf of the Gambian leader by the vice president and minister of Women’s Affairs, Her Excellency Aja Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy at a ceremony held at the State House grounds.

Receiving the items, VP Njie-Saidy expressed delight over the gesture, saying it is very vital to the country’s development aspirations. She said the book by Awa Divine Bojang is inline with the country’s efforts at promoting education, while recalling President Jammeh’s early days in power, when he stressed the need for quality education. “The knowledge in this book is vital and has a message of paramount importance. So we want to thank the author for the hard work done,” she said.

The vice president also commended Alieu Kujabi, saying his work is inline with the government’s efforts in ensuring that youths take their rightful position in nation building. She said the country would be very excited to see many young Gambians like Alieu. “The two of you have taken a very big initiative aimed at developing your country and we must thank you on behalf of the president for that,” she concluded.

Yankuba Colley, the mayor of KMC also expressed gratitude to the young people, describing the move as very touching. He urged them to keep the momentum.

For his part, Alieu Kujabi, a native of Pirang who resides in Brikama, disclosed that the move has been in his plans for years. He told the gathering that he was able to produce this because he adhered to the advice of the president. “I understand that not everybody can sit in the office and so others have to obtain skills,” he said.

Kujabi explained that the materials he used to make the sofa are all available in the country. “My initiative is therefore meant to justify that we the youth need skills to move the country forward,” he added.

For her part, Borry Tamba, Alieu’s mother, commended her son and described him as someone who is hardworking and always listens to her advice. She used the opportunity to inform the vice president about the situation of the women’s garden in Pirang, saying they really need assistance.

Awa Divine Bojang, the author of the book entitled ‘Arrows of wisdom’ who also lives in Brikama, thanked President Jammeh for sponsoring her during the course of writing the book. “I always describe him as my black hero,” she said. 

Hassoum Ceesay of the National Centre for Arts and Culture hailed the author and urged her to register her work for the sake of copyright.