Representing His Excellency President Adama Barrow, the Vice President, His Excellency Mohammed B.S Jallow, presided over the launch of the Qatar Charity Organisation Empowerment and Economic Development Project to Support the Gambia 2025 at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo. The Project aims to address the needs of vulnerable groups and improve their living standards, focusing on providing essential equipment, creating job opportunities, and fostering social inclusion, particularly for people with disabilities and youth.It also aims to create job opportunities for youth, contributing to the overall economic empowerment of families and communities. The project also includes initiatives to empower women economically, enabling them to become more self-reliant to improve domestic living conditions.Among the equipment donated by the foundation, are sewing machines The project reflects ‘Qatar Charity's commitment to ensuring full social inclusion for all, including individuals with disabilities, by providing an environment where they can live with dignity and independence.’The project country's director Mustafa E.S. Satte, described the initiative as an income-generating project. He said it will serve as a ‘turning point,’ offering beneficiaries ‘stable employment’ and facilities to improve their living conditions. He added that this initiative is part of Qatar Charity’s broader commitment to sustainable development and its continuous efforts to economically empower disadvantaged families, by enabling families to establish their own sources of income, helping them meet essential needs such as education, food, and healthcare. The project, he added, will also contribute to fostering social stability in local communities, reducing unemployment rates, particularly among the most vulnerable women and youth in Gambian society.Wheelchairs to be handed over to the differently-abled Sanna Dahaba, the Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency, said the Qatar Charity is collaborating with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) under the office of the Vice President to enable the delivery of ‘vital humanitarian assistance to disaster-affected individuals, groups and communities.’His Excellency, Mohammed B.S Jallow, in his address, expressed gratitude to the government and the people of Qatar for their generous support, saying it will ‘directly empower the youth, women, and small-scale entrepreneurs,’ enabling the building of sustainable livelihoods.VP Jallow added that the project aligns ‘seamlessly with the government’s development agendas like job creation, food security, and inclusive economic growth.’The Vice President assured the government's ‘unwavering commitment to the project.’ He urged the National Disaster Management Agency to ensure effective monitoring mechanisms to evaluate the impacts of the support, ensuring ‘transparency and accountability.’This support comes at a crucial time, as the nation grapples with the aftermath of climate-driven disasters that disproportionately affected Gambian communities, significantly increasing their vulnerabilities. In 2024 alone, the NDMA reported that more than 70,000 individuals were impacted by adverse events such as flash floods, windstorms, and fire outbreaks, highlighting the urgent need for sustained humanitarian support.
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