A worthy path

It is a well noted fact that the youths of every nation form the backbone of its development force. This is in fact an issue that has been discussed time and again. Ignoring it will tantamount to ignoring the reality.

Thank God though that the government of The Gambia is quite aware of this. And it has never, for even a brief moment, strayed from its desire to empower its youth population. This is demonstrated in the increasing opportunities being created for them.

However, to think that government, all by itself, can make the difference would be a grave mistake. The entire population has a role to play, more so members of the private sector.   

This week’s Society column, on this very edition, features an enterprising venture rarely found in The Gambia. Mr Buba Janneh, the brain behind Janneh Mori Engineering Manufacturing Import and Export Ltd and his co-workers, are among the most dedicated of people this country can boast of today. The beauty about the existence of their concept is that it represents a character of the country that is seldom made mention of, and that is that there are indeed people who forfeit monetary value for long term achievement. In other words, they have seen the value of suspending short term enjoyment for the long term benefits therein.

If what we saw there is anything to go by, then The Gambia really stands a better chance to realize its dreams; but only if we search out for more Buba Jannehs. We should not just stop there; we will have to go further to give them all the necessary support they rightly deserve. These young and talented personalities have demonstrated their readiness to contribute their quota; they surely would only need the support of the people of The Gambia, both in terms of finance and moral wise.

The technology is undoubtedly available, as they have on display all it would take to convince even the most sceptical of individuals that these things can really be manufactured in this country, and by Gambians. The willingness is unquestionably obvious, as the man whose brainchild it is possesses all characteristics of a responsible person. All they ask for is the support of their compatriots.

There are indeed a lot of people with similar potential, but most if not all of them have been unable to realize their dreams despite the abundance of wealth we find ourselves in. The problem is that some people tend to find it difficult to bring themselves to accept that investing on locally conceived ventures are as rewarding as putting one’s money into any other business endeavour.

Given what we have seen, and what impression we gained from our encounter with the brains behind Janneh Mori Engineering Manufacturing Import and Export Company LTD, our support is well placed.