"The Gambia's population can be described as "young" because of the lower
median ages of 18.4 and 17.0 years respectively for 1983 and 1993 censuses.
According to the 1993 census, 44 per cent of the population were under 15
years, 50.4 per cent under 18 years, 16.2 per cent under 5 years and 3.2
per cent were 65 years and above. All these translate into a high
dependency ratio for the working population. Also, according to the 1996
UNDP Human Development Report, about 60 per cent of the population are
within the age bracket 13-30 years. This suggests at least a 50 per cent
youthful population.
Problem Statement
Young people below the age of 25 years constitute 64 per cent and those
aged 10-24 years constitute 31.1 per cent of the entire Gambian population
(1993 census)."
After I earlier posted the article on Women and Youths from the Daily
Observer, I followed it up with a commentary that goes like this:
The above statistics indicates where any political party aspiring to lead
us must focus its attention. Time and again opponents of this regime,
particularly those living in the Diaspora, have dismissed infrastructural
developments taking place here as nothing to brag about. What some of these
people however fail to realise is the impact it is having on the lives of
our people, particularly the Women and Youths. It is these people who see
Jammeh as a doer who does all that he says. Infact, his trademark speech to
Gambians is "I do not give promises that I do not keep". Even though he has
promised us a few things that are yet to materealise such as the
electrification of the whole country, his efforts towards that have been
highly welcome. People also tend to easily excuse him for such failures by
accusing others of trying to sabotage his efforts. The failure of most of
our opposition parties to recognise or champion these is, at least from my
own point of view, mainly responsible for their failure to make much
headway in increasing their membership. Any political party that wants to
base its political strategy on constant grumbling rather sensitising the
electorate as to what you would do for them when elected, would just be
wasting its time. Jammeh, by focussing on this segment of our population is
assured of increased support.
Add to that the constant showcasing of these projects as well as the
promise of more to come and you will see what I mean.
Have a good day, Gassa.
--
There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see,
yet small enough to solve (Mike Leavitt)
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