Gambia: Jamisa Skills Centre

Gambia has a large number of largely young unemployed people. At the Jamisa Skills Centre, a number of these youths is given the opportunity to be trained to start their own business. The skills centre focuses on professions in high demand. In addition to job skills, the young people are taught how to run a business, and receive training in selling their product or service. This provides them with an excellent basis to successfully support themselves. The Jamisa Skills Centre trains children to become secretaries, carpenters, metalworkers, mechanics or seamstresses.

Suitable teaching materials and the correct tools and facilities are essential. Net4kids supports aid in the acquisition of teaching materials and equipment, improvement of housing and infrastructure, including improvement of teaching facilities, furnishing of classrooms, construction of toilet facilities and hiring of qualified teachers. Additionally, the training programme and student selection process are supported via brochures, registration of the courses with examination commissions and accreditation by the Chambers of Commerce.

During the 2007/2008 academic year, 116 students were trained, 91 in the secretarial work section, fifteen in the sewing section and ten in the metal and woodworking section. The metal and woodworking section strives to take on assignments from third parties wherever possible in order to minimise educational costs.

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