By Abdou Mbye
The Regional Education Directorate for Region One, of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) has held its third annual summer camp at the Friendship Hotel in Bakau. The four-day event, which commenced on Monday, 26th August, is funded by UNICEF in partnership with MoBSE. The event brought together over fifty students from various schools across Region One, providing a platform for learning, socialising, and skill-building.
The camp also aimed to provide participants with valuable opportunities to enhance their social, interpersonal, and livelihood skills, molding them to become responsible citizens.
Delivering the opening remarks, Mr. Bakary Ceesay, Director of the Regional Education Directorate One, expressed deep gratitude to UNICEF for their long-standing support to MoBSE.
He noted that the camp is essential for students to develop their social and interpersonal skills. “Despite their diverse backgrounds, the participants have been able to bond harmoniously, which is vital for the country’s stability,” Mr. Ceesay emphasised.
Mr. Alhagie Jallow, Principal Education Officer (PEO), Region One, said this year’s camp would build on the achievements of previous editions. He said students would have the chance to generate new ideas and bridge the gap between theory and practice.
“Learning is not just about acquiring knowledge and skills; some of you possess remarkable talents, and this camp will serve as a platform to support those talents and inspire others,” PEO Jallow concluded.
Momodou S. Jallow, Senior Master and Head of Extra-Curricular at Nusrat Senior Secondary School, said the event addressed many issues faced by students and that bringing those issues directly to them would help shape their minds and change the narrative.
The camp, he explained, targeted student leaders, with the aim to equip them with essential knowledge in areas such as guidance and counseling, leadership, and discipline, so they can share what they learned with their respective schools.
Isatou Ceesay, a Grade 11 student at St. John’s School for the Deaf; and Dibbasey from Latrikunda Sabiji Upper and Senior Secondary School, both expressed delight for participating in the summer camp. They stated that the knowledge and skills gained during the camp would significantly impact their careers, and that they were eager to share these insights with their fellow students.
