A three-day leadership training programme organised by  Better Africa Youth Initiative (BAYI) ended recently. The workshop which was organised by BAYI in collaboration with Institute of Democratic International Affairs (IDIA) was held in Banjul Senior Secondary School.

BAYI is a charitable organisation dedicated to the empowerment and development of youths in The Gambia and Africa as a whole.  It aims to encourage  young African to utilise their God-given talents and energy as well as exercising their intellectual faculties by creating environments, events and activities that will cultivate leadership, support positive choices and self-development.

The workshop attracted over 150 students drawn from over 10 schools in Banjul, Western Region and Greater Banjul area, and it aimed at creating awareness and to empower youths on leadership skills, public speaking skills, and skills-development and health awareness.

The first day of the workshop was set aside for female students only. This was to familiarise them with the line-up topics and also to avoid isolation from their opposite  male students. The conference that served as a class extension for the participated students covered topics like professional dreams, human trafficking, drug abuse, unemployment, diseases among others.

Michael Hinchliffe, Director of IDIA expressed delight over the positive turn-out of students to the training programme. He described them as 'exceptionally good students with brilliant ideas'.

Muhammed Siaka, a Grade 12 student from Charles Fowlis said he had gained a lot of knowledge during the training because most of the issues affecting the students where discussed. He added that this will enable them to express themselves with confidence when it came to class discussion.

Modou E Samateh, another Grade 12 student from the Gambia Senior Secondary School and Awa k Njie, Grade 11 at Nusrat Senior School noted that the training had exposed and helped them to mixed with some students and make friends from different schools.

Rose F Manga, Grade 12 student at Gambia Senior Secondary School, described the workshop as 'very educative, interactive and talents discoverin.'

Steven Mafe, a teacher at Seventh Day Adventist school said 'it is a very good training that will help the students to boost their potentials. Because they have the potential to turn things round but some of them lack someone to build it for them. Therefore, BAYI as an organisation needs to be commended for this timely workshop for the students.'