A  Rural Child (RC), child lead organisation based in Mandinaba Kombo east district of the Gambia, whose objective is to promote the rights of the children which includes bridging the gap that exists in terms of enjoying social services between the children of the urban and rural communities.

This organisation was registered under the companies act of 2013 with its registration number 2020/C 10996, its headed by diverse field of experts which includes the following; youth  activists, human rights defenders, teachers , journalists, health officials  and children who entrusted themselves with responsibility of monitoring the welfare and protection of f children particularly children in the rural Gambia.  Also to empower youth, women and communities to build peace, reconciliation and also to help them untapped in exploitable opportunities within their communities .

Speaking to this medium, Amadou Jallow the Coordinator, stated that this mentorship programme which  children from from diverse settlements  meant to provide  career guidance and counseling all aimed at helping the participants identify career paths  for future occupations. This support is provided by experts who serve participants as role models in organise sessions such as seminars, interface and symposiums and other forms of engagements.

 He added that choosing a career path remains  a challenge for children but it’s a means for improving lives and livelihood, according to him wise career choice leads to a better future through sustainable earnings. The participants will factor the following in the quest to make career choices, skills, plight, desires and aspirations.

According to the Coordinator, Career deification is a major challenge to  Gambians especially the school going children. He added that in the university, students are challenged with choice of specialisation or courses as some of the affected students seek advice from people sometimes they end up taking a course that does not match their desire. Going further, he said most of the students performed poorly as a result of lack of career guidance, he sighted examples of senior school going students who keep flip-flopping between streams as a result of lack of guidance to pick  career paths .

The Rural Child’s coordinator, challenged Parents to provide better career guidance to their children for the country to produce a better workforce that will produce good results for the nation as most of them would have been given required career guidance to help them specialise in the sector that they really opt for not otherwise.

This programme is expected to end in July of this year and certificates and awards will be issued to the deserving participants at the end of the nine months long career guidance training.

 

By: Alkali Cham