(JollofNews) – Education and livelihood training is essential in any community. Technical skills and further education and training enhance livelihoods and the viability of subsistence communities.
Educating our people will empower them, make environments sustainable, end poverty and hunger, to build knowledge and deliver skills that can be transferred within and across communities.
Women are worst affected by poverty, which means not only material shortages but also a lack of opportunities, whether in the field of education or in the enjoyment of cultural, political and social rights.
They make the majority of vendors in our markets and face abject poverty in want of adequate food, clean water, sanitation, and health care.
They want to grow their businesses but because of the lack of education and livelihood skills, they often lack access to the critical resources of credit, land, and inheritance.
They are denied opportunities, choices, access to information, education, and skills. Without any sense of power whatsoever, their participation in decision- making is minimal, both at home and in the community.
These have kept many children out of school, helping their mothers in marketplaces and fueling to the perpetual cycle of poverty.
When provided with access to economic and educational opportunities, as well as the autonomy needed to take advantage of such opportunities, women and children are enabled to make strategic life choices that will make KMC the envy of all regions.
Women vendors and their children are found extending their working hours inordinately at home and outside, to earn enough to meet the subsistence requirements of their households.
Yet, their labor goes unrewarded and unrecognized, in most cases. Given the plight of these women, it becomes important to redefine poverty and use the money they pay in taxes to provide scholarships, keep their children in school and eliminate poverty.
And we must help these women with skills that can help them become successful and make our economy viable.
So, this calls for a concept of poverty that doesn’t only take into account the absence of minimum basic needs but also includes denial of opportunities and choices.
Poverty reduction through education and livelihood skills implies enhancing resources, choices, capabilities and the power necessary to enjoy an adequate standard of living and other rights (civil cultural, political and social).
All of this will be ineffective if we do not give the future generation of Kanifing Municipality citizens higher education and send them those that underprivileged to college.
This is why the KMC educational scholarship will be expanded to send many high school graduates from disadvantaged families to receive a university education.
Information dissemination, raising awareness, capacity building, and translation of skills into practice increases women’s and children’s economic options and promote their sense of worth.
Basic literacy skills help will them to acquire knowledge and skills required for improving and developing their tasks in all fields.
Vocational education and training will go a long way in facilitating their economic base. Enhanced organizational and social leadership skill empowers them socially and politically.
Poor families lack resources, skills, education and collective strength to break the cycle of their oppression and exploitation. External facilitation through voluntary development organizations plays a crucial catalytic role by creating a platform for learning.
Bakary Badjie is a mayoral hopeful for Kanifing Municipality. You can read more about his vision, policies, donate or join his team by visiting www.bakarybadjie.com
Gambia electorate must demand specific plans from those seeking elected office. It is not enough to talk in generalities. If you claim you will eliminate poverty, tell us the when, the how and who will pay for your plan. Anything less is political lies that is designed to win a specific office with no intent to deliver. Those asking for our votes must be held to high standard. Who are you? What do people say about your character? What is your credit worthiness and criminal history and what are your accomplishments and contributions in your local community and in Gambia. What are your plans for the people and the specifics of how you will deliver on political promissory note.
Finally concerning Mr Badjie plan to eliminate poverty in KMC, he might consider trying a alleviation scheme first.
God Bless The Gambia.