The Institute of Travel and Tourism of Gambia (ITTOG) local partner with ethnic of the development cooperation project No Woman Left Behind which is taking place in The Gambia during the year 2021, held an Open Day on Saturday 31st July 2021 at the institute premises in Kololi.
The objective of the day was, among other things, to talk about the state of current projects / courses, especially the project “ No Woman Left Behind. “
This project is co-financed by the Catalan Agency for Cooperation and Development ( ACCD) of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
The project is training thirty (30) vulnerable women in cooking, pastry, food processing, sustainability and human rights with the aim of facilitating their social integration and their empowerment as women and as professionals in the TRS sector (Responsible and sustainable tourism) in the country.
During the event, Tejan Nyang (Director of the ITTOG School) welcomed the guests, especially the parents and guardians, and thanked them for their confidence in ITTOG as the choice of their school daughters or wards.
He expressed his gratitude to the various partners of the institute, especially during these difficult financial times caused by the Covid-. Nyang also presented ITTOG’s plan to continue empowering women and youth through various projects and appealed for the continued support of partners in this endeavour.
Fatoumatta Jabang , a student in the “No Woman Left Behind” project, also spoke at the event, who thanked ITTOG and the partners in Catalonia for prioritizing the empowerment of women. In addition, he explained how this course has rescued them from a spiral that had led them to not have any opportunity to take control of themselves.
The day included a sample of different snacks, drinks and an assortment of fruit jams made entirely by the students of the ” No Woman Left Behind” project. One of the students, Fatou Hydara, welcomed the guests and presented the products produced by the students.
The Gambia’s Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, Fatou Kinteh , expressed her satisfaction with the project and assured ITTOG of her ministry’s support for this project.
Fatou Mbenga-Jallow , coordinator of the European Union-funded Youth Empowerment Project, said her organization is grateful to ITTOG for helping to implement many of its projects since its inception. He further explained how the ITTOG board has been very supportive of the Youth Empowerment Project tourism core group and has given assurances of their continued support.
The event was attended by students from the different courses and projects currently run by ITTOG, with mothers and fathers, tutors and authorities including Fatou Kinteh – Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare; Fatou Mbenga-Jallow – Deputy Project Coordinator of the Youth Empowerment Project (a project of the International Trade Center funded by the EU and Naffie Barry , president of the Gambia Women’s Federation