THE GAMBIA
NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE SCHEME
(GNYSS): A POLICY TO THE RESCUE

- Isatou Baldeh, Service Member, Gambia National Youth Service Scheme

Before being involved in the GNYSS, many young Gambians were involved in truancy, dropping out of school, and prostitution, so leaving school with inadequate qualifications. The GNYSS has helped rescue many young Gambians from these problems.
The service scheme starts with an orientation programme and then progresses to courses and service in areas such as accountancy, management and computers. The benefits for young people are that it gives them confidence ("If I had not been a product of this scheme, I would not be standing here today"), prepares them for responsibility, makes them determined, helps them learn how to deal with challenges and problems, and enables them to mature and gain experience. Young people are also brought into the decision-making process.
Isatou made several recommendations: (i) that the idea of youth service and its benefits be much more widely publicised so that everyone appreciates its value; (ii) that the army and police recruit more of the NYS participants; (iii) that youth exchange programmes be made global, and not restricted to regions or continents; and (iv) that more action, less talk is needed for progress.