Another batch of 25 Gambian students, last Monday left  Banjul  for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, where they are expected to pursue a five-year higher education programme in various fields at different universities in the Southern American country.

This higher education program, according to the officials of the Venezuelan Embassy in The Gambia, is part of the framework agreement of cooperation between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Republic of The Gambia, which was signed by its leaders during the 2006 African Union Summit in Banjul.  

In line with the South-South Corporation policy of President Hugo Chávez, which is based on solidarity and humanity, this move is said to aim at investing in the human capital of the two Peoples. The objective of the scholarship scheme, according to the officials is to help reduce poverty through education, considering the fact that the students upon the completion of their studies will immensely contribute to the national development crusade of the government. This group of students, the Daily Observer learnt, is the second batch of a larger group of students, who are already pursuing higher education in Venezuela. It is hoped that by the end of October, this year, the rest of the students selected will join their colleagues in Venezuela to pursue their respective fields of studies.

Present at the airport to see the students off were the staff of the embassy of Venezuela in The Gambia including Her Excellency, Lourdes Perez Martinez, the Venezuela ambassador to The Gambia, senior government officials, parents, as well as friends of the students. It can be recalled that this batch of students were among hundred students selected last year by a selection committee of Fundayacucho, an institution that provides the scholarships scheme. Since then, the lucky students selected by this committee have been attending a Spanish language course so as to better prepare for the challenges ahead in Venezuela.