About Us
The Gambian Youths Organization (GYO) was founded in 2002 by group of ten dedicated young men namely Momodou S. Sawaneh, Malang Ceesay, Saine Jarju, Ousman Jammeh, Kawsu Minteh, Bakary Touray, Omar Koita, Alhagie Jallow, Buba Trawally and Fabakary Ceesay. The organization stands to promote unity and development in the Gambian community in the United States, the Gambia and beyond.
The sense of loneliness and helplessness created by our cultural alienation by mainstream American culture have frustrated Gambian all around the western hemisphere thus, GYO emerged as a grass root organization to improve our lives by creating a foundation through which members can network, have fun and enjoy a sense of belonging to a group; thus promoting mental and physical wellbeing of our members.
GYO has enacted an assistance program for members who are in trouble with the law, sick, injured, victims of fire and floods.
We have a sponsorship programs for high school students in the Gambia since 2003 through Schools for Progress, a non-governmental organization that allocate our funds to qualified and needy students in the country. And this program is expected to be extended to youths groups like Youths in Development and Change (YIDAC). Beside the sponsorship program allocated to the Gambian, we have a proposal on the way to allocate partial scholarship for college students in US through lottery latest Fall 2007.
Through our back- to- school campaign, so many of our members have now got the necessary information to further their education at the college and university level. The educational department is raising funds through raffles and other means to meet these scholarship programs.
We’re dedicated to a program referred as “Cloth Donation” since 2002. We occasionally donate our used clothes to the Salvation Army and Beginning 2007, we’re extending this program to the Gambian through YIDAC where thousands will benefit these materials.
GYO has incubated a soccer team capable to contest in Major leagues. We are proven to have the finest style of play and the most discipline team in the entire tourney we played. In 2005, we raised to the peak our game grabbing a prestige Harlem Tournament championship trophy organized by Senegalese Association and stunning the whole African community in New York City. We continue to escalate our style of play and stayed undefeated in the most part, until 2006 when Ivory Coast beat us in the finals. We concede runners up trophy in that tournament. Our third consecutive participation in the July 4th Gambian Reunion in Atlanta had spice up tournament through our sportsmanship and youthful high spirits. In 2006, we got to the final by winning three straight games; nevertheless, we narrowly lost to Alabama and finished second with runner-up trophy.
GYO is in the process of launching an outreach program to link with other affiliate organization such as the Gambian Society, the Senegalese association, African services, Harlem United and much more. We aim to form a strong bond between these organizations in helping the community.
Goals
To establish unity and means of communications among the youths globally.
Create social events such as sports and parties that are going to keep the youths bonded together regardless to age, economic background or political philosophy.
Strengthen our African culture that can bring more confidence in ourselves.
Create an atmosphere where people can trade information on how to go about solving certain problems we face in this nation.
Establish brotherhood and sisterhood within ourselves by caring and assisting one another.
Raise funds to offer scholarship programs for some needy high school and college students in the Gambia and elsewhere.
Offer proper educational guidance to students coming from the Gambia who wants to pursue college education in the United States of America.
Send use clothes, hospital materials and so forth to needy people in US and the Gambia.
Sensitized the community about HIV/AIDS, sexual transmitted disease and other diseases that are detrimental to our lives.
Assist members who accidentally have the following conditions: fire problem, sickness and legal problem
Donate funds to mosques, social establishment that help people in the community.
Offer services to the members in kind and services to the city of NY by cleaning parks and do community services.
Activities
We’re engaged in playing sports such as soccer, basketball, etc.
We organize picnic at beaches and parks during the summer.
We organize outdoors and in door activities such as barbeques especially in Muslim holidays such as Tobaski and Koriteh.
We organize tours to Atlanta July 4th holiday and African Liberation Day (ALD).
Membership Conditions
Anyone can become a member by filling the membership form, pay $10 registration fee and $5 towards a month dues.
Monthly members hold meetings to put ideas together as to what to do next.
Members must adhere to contribute fund to cover emergency expenses.
Members have to keep each other inform about events or schedule of activities.
Membership is open to non-Gambians as well as women around the globe.
Members must attend meetings and pay their dues to be in good standing
Members have to forward divisive issues and problems to the president and his seven-man committee.
