The Gambia United Kingdom Forces Community (GUKFC) was on Saturday 18th September 2021 officially launched in Tidworth, Southwest England.
GUKFC is a charity organisation set up by Gambians who are serving and/or have served in the British Armed Forces with the aim of creating a platform which allows members to share their collective aspirations of giving back to communities in The Gambia.
Mr. Mustapha Njie, Chairman and CEO TAF Africa Global and Mr. Sulayman Suntou Touray, Counsellor at the Gambia High Commission in the UK were the invited guests at the ceremony.
Delivering his keynote address via Zoom, centred on the ‘importance of Social Responsibility in Business,’ Mr. Njie said that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now substituted with a new terminology – Sustainable Development Partnership (SDP), a business model that helps a company to be community orientated on a range of issues; exterminating poverty, fostering gender equality, and other social, cultural and environmental issues.
Speaking on his company’s commitment to SDP, Mr. Njie said that 1% of his company’s total revenue is dedicated to fostering meaningful development and growth focusing on youths. “We focus on youths because when we invest in young people, we are investing in the development of the country,” he emphasised, adding that members of the GUKFC can be good role models for young people in the Gambia and encouraged them to map out strategies that instil positive attitude and mindset in young people.
In his contribution, Mr. Sulayman Suntou Touray, who represented The Gambia High Commission in the United Kingdom, commenced his speech by extending fraternal greetings on behalf of the Gambian President H.E. Mr. Adama Barrow through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Gambians Abroad. He applauded members of the GUKFC for their foresight in establishing the charity. Mr Touray said that the vast array of expertise within GUKFC can be a source of goodwill for the young people in the Gambia and challenged members of the charity to play an active role in the Gambia by organising public events and speak up to help and inspire the youths. He also cited the ongoing reforms in the Gambia Armed Forces in which GUKFC can be an important player due to their military training, experience and exposure. “Our synergy can influence a lot of positive changes for the country,” he noted while highlighting the crucial role played by the Gambia diaspora during the outbreak of Covid-19 through remittances which he said contributed immensely to the gross domestic product in 2020.
After speeches were made, the executive committee to steer the affairs of the charity over the next two years was unveiled. The charity was chaired by Mr Sheriff Dibba who was deputised by Captain Henry Owens.
The launching ceremony was climaxed with variety of outdoor activities – football, zimba and music and chairs.
The launch is said to be a significant milestone for the charity as it is seen as a foundation for humanitarian mission and assistance in the Gambia.
For the past 15 months, members of the charity took significant steps in fostering cooperation and collaboration through a range of activities – quarterly “campehs” via Zoom, online scrabble tournament and the Euro 2020 sweepstake competition.
