Gambian Youth – Moving Towards Change
A statistic in my previous post stated that almost close to 60% of their population is comprised of 0-25 year olds. The majority is uneducated and forced to work in family owned farms. It has become an apparent struggle for the youth and many have attempted to immigrate to European countries, more often than not, illegally. The influence can be associated to the creation of a westernized image of what life should be like by the social media and just the plain lack of opportunities at home. The youth percentage is a huge chunk of the population and thankfully the Gambian government has noticed the implications of their youth trying to immigrate and have taken measures to address the circumstances. Government funded programs such as No Back Way to Europe and Gambia Emergency Agricultural Production Project, have created opportunities for the youth to better their lifestyle. Since the government’s involvement, immigration has decreased significantly and a movement towards self-growth and dependency is now more reachable.
References:
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2012/sep/07/youth-gambia-government-farming-initiative
Fueling Gambia 