Bijilo, The Gambia – 10 October, 2024 – The Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN) Gambia Chapter concluded a transformative board training session on October 4, 2024, led by renowned human rights advocate and governance expert Madi Jobarteh. This intensive one-day workshop, held as part of the “Promoting Rights and Justice in the Gambia Project: Empowering Civil Society and the Media,” was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Freedom House. The training aimed to enhance GYIN Gambia’s organizational governance and board effectiveness.
Participating board members included: Modou S. Joof, Chairperson, Board of Directors, Tom Senghore, Secretary, Board of Directors, Fanta Tambajang, Board Member, and Mariama Kruablly, Board Member. Mrs. Binta Gibba, Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors, was unable to attend the training.
We are pleased to share the key insights and outcomes from this invaluable experience.
The session focused on crucial aspects of board governance, providing our members with valuable knowledge to enhance GYIN Gambia’s operations. Madi Jobarteh emphasized the importance of accountability and the unique role of civil society organizations, stating, “Civil society is not public sector. It is important as board members that we understand what civil society is. Some people have never worked with civil society and have an understanding of them as troublemakers.”
Key Learnings:
- The significance of evidence-based decision-making
- The role of boards in driving organizational change
- The importance of confidentiality and trust in board operations
- Strategies for developing long-lasting organizational policies
Our board members found the training incredibly valuable. Modou S. Joof, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, shared: “A lot of ideas came up that we think we need to work on and support the development of the organization. For policies that already exist, maybe we look at them and see whether they need updating to be in line with the current realities and times.”
Tom Senghore, Secretary of the Board, added: “This will give us courage to do our best for GYIN Gambia, but not only GYIN, for our country, The Gambia.”
Fanta Tambajang noted, “We’ve learned a lot, and it’s going to help us do this work easily.”
Mariama Kruablly shared, “A lot was mentioned here which I have not been hearing before. I promise that we will work with it, and it will help us with the board committee.”
Moving forward, this training has laid a strong foundation for GYIN Gambia’s future. As Madi Jobarteh emphasized, “GYIN needs to develop policies to be a long-lasting organization. So that people in 20 years will see it is a structured organization.”
Mamadou Edrisa Nije, Executive Director of GYIN Gambia, expressed his gratitude: “We are thankful to Freedom House and Madi Jobarteh for this intensive and enlightening training. It was a productive session, and the wealth of knowledge we’ve gained will aid our organization’s growth and effectiveness.”
GYIN Gambia is committed to implementing these valuable insights to enhance our organizational structure, refine our policies, and ultimately amplify our impact on youth development in The Gambia. As we move forward, we are confident that the skills and knowledge acquired during this training will enable us to better serve our community and contribute more effectively to national development.