Conscience International, on Wednesday held its first graduation ceremony for students who have underwent three months’ ICT and Sexuality Training at Tanji Youth Center.

Conscience International is a registered and recognised NGO working in The Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone. It has set up a pilot research project to find possibilities of using Information and Communication Technology and Sexuality Education among girls in Tanji and its surrounding villages. Both school-going and working adolescents have continued to benefit from this project in Tanji.

Speaking at the event, Fatou Sanyang, the deputy governor of West Coast Region (WCR) said: “If you educate a woman you educate a whole nation; and in the same vain a woman is the first teacher of a child”. According to her, both the educated and uneducated women are making a difference in their communities.

She pointed out that this is just a stepping stone for the new graduates; that there is still more to come, noting that every successful individual has graduated through various sectors of life to attain great success. Sanyang urged the graduating class to encourage their peers to get involved in the Information Technology (IT) world.

Honourable Abdou Colley, minister of Finance, in his remarks expressed his delight to be associated with such a gathering, this being the first batch of graduating students of the school, and as ambassadors of the community. Colley urged them to use the knowledge gained to move the country forward and play a vital role in nation building. He then thanked Conscience International for a job well done and urged them to keep up the good work.

The IT analyst of Conscience International, Cyril Mbaegbu, thanked the alkalo and the community of Tanji for their immense contribution towards the realisation of the training programmer. He stated that the students were determined and enthusiastic towards learning, and so were able to overcome beginners level in computer application skills within the stipulated period of the training.

He therefore congratulated the new graduates for a job well done, saying that they performed extremely well in their homework, class work and final exam.