ABOUT US

Beakanyang Kafoo is a registered non-for-profit, non-political and independent development, advocacy and hum,an rights  organization in The Gambia, West Africa.

Beakanyang is a Mandinka (local) word meaning equal opportunities for all. It was founded in 2001 and began full operation in summer 2004 after registration with the ministry of justice.

Beakanyang aims to enhance the participation of disadvantage people in issues relating to good governance, human rights, child rights, as well as women and youth development in The Gambia. The organisation has been actively working over the last years to enhance the participation of young people in issues relating to human rights, governance, as well as women and youth development in The Gambia.

The creation of the organization was in direct response to meet the needs and aspiration of the youth and women of the area we began operation. It grew from the felt need to effectively mobilize the mass participation of young people to get off their fence and work constructively for the building of a culture of peace, human rights, governance and transparency in the country.

Programme Objectives

The programme objectives are to mobilize youth and women across the country at the local and national levels to participate in all spheres of national development. The activities seek the holistic involvement of young people as key actors in democratic processes and social transformation in The Gambia.

The strategy the programme pursues in order to realize these objectives is to strengthen the capacities of youth leaders and to advocate and lobby to influence policies promoting and mainstreaming children, youth and women participation in national and regional processes.

Overall Goals and Objectives

 To empower women and young people to serve as an effective catalysts for social transformation in The Gambia.

 To help promote a culture of peace, human rights, governance and open societies.

 To promote the participation of young people and women in making decisions that affects their future.

 To serve as a public policy voice and advocacy mechanism on behalf of young people and women and other vulnerable groups in the society to influence policies promoting and mainstreaming their participation in local and national agenda .


 

1st National Youth Conference on Youth Participation in Politics and Decision-Making Process in The Gambia

Beakanyang, on Saturday June 2, 2012, organised the first National Youth Conference on Youth Participation in Politics and Decision-making Process in The Gambia.

The conference, held at the Tango Conference Hall in Kanifing on the theme: ‘Putting youth at the centre of decision-making’, was funded by the British High Commission in Banjul.

In officially declaring the conference open, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mambayick Njie, said young people have a very critical role to play in nation-building.

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Training of Local Authorities on Human Rights

Beakanyang on May 5th 2012 in Basse, the administrative capital of the Upper River Region organized a daylong training workshop on democracy and human rights for the region’s district authorities.
The forum which marks the final activity in our project, brought together local authorities from across the region including all the seven chiefs in URR, members of districts tribunals, ward councilors and some village heads.
The training fifth of its kind and final activity was supported by the US Embassy in The Gambia and was held under the theme ‘Strengthening human rights and democracy at the grassroots level’.
The daylong training, held at the Regional Education Office Conference Hall, was attended by over fifty participants and lectures were made in local languages at the pleasure of the participants.

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