By Fatoumata Joof
The Senior Management of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST), senior officials of the University of Applied Science and Engineering and Technology (USET), and the Founder of MRC Holland Foundation, recently received His Excellency President Adama Barrow at the Wassu Madina Lamin Kanteh Multi-Purpose TVET Centre in CRR North, as part of his Meet the People Tour 2024. The centre, funded by the MRC Holland Foundation and Brighter Future, in partnership with the Government of The Gambia, is currently under construction. During his visit, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, Dr. Yusupha Touray; and the founder of MRC Holland Foundation, and contractor of the project, Dr. Henriette Sonko, took the President on a conducted tour of the facilities within the centre.
Speaking at the project site, His Excellency President Mr. Adama Barrow welcomed the initiative and commended the contractor for the progress of the work. President Barrow emphasised his government’s commitment to decentralising Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to make it accessible to students across the country. He thanked MRC Holland Foundation and Brighter Future for investing in education and for partnering with his government. He urged the contractor and his team to complete the project as planned.
President Barrow noted that The Gambia was far behind in terms of Technical and Vocational Education and Training but his government through the Ministry of Higher Education is changing the narrative by transforming TVET education in The Gambia. This, according to President Barrow will reduce the country’s dependence on foreign experts. The Founder and Coordinator of MRC Holland Foundation, Dr. Henriette Sonko informed President Barrow that the facility includes classrooms, technical rooms, staff quarters, students’ dormitories and workshops for various TVET programmes depending on the needs of the students. The dormitories have two storey-buildings with 16 rooms and 128 beds. The construction of the first phase of the TVET centre will be co mpleted in January 2025, which will be followed by the operationalisation and kick-start of training programmes.
