{"id":91174,"date":"2025-12-02T07:00:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T07:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/uncategorized\/foundation-moves-to-tackle-mental-health-back-way-migration"},"modified":"2025-12-02T07:22:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T07:22:24","slug":"foundation-moves-to-tackle-mental-health-back-way-migration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/foundation-moves-to-tackle-mental-health-back-way-migration","title":{"rendered":"Foundation Moves to Tackle Mental Health, Back-Way Migration"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. <\/strong><\/span>The Taranga Youth Foundation Friday launched its programmes at St Anthony\u2019s church in Kololi aimed at empowering young Gambians through mental health support, skills training and safe spaces for young people to grow.<\/b><\/p>\n

Founder and CEO Jacob Francis Sarr said the initiative was inspired by his concern for the growing challenges facing the country\u2019s youth. Speaking emotionally, he says he feels a \u201cdeep pain\u201d every time he returns home and sees the potential of young Gambians threatened by drugs, stress, hopelessness and the rising dangers of back-way migration.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stand here not just as a founder but as a son of this country,\u201d Sarr said. \u201cI feel anger not at the youths, but at the circumstances that failed them. And above all, I feel a responsibility because I know what it means to have people who listen and support you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarr stresses that Taranga Foundation is \u201cnot a charity or a project, but a promise, a promise that every young person deserves safety, dignity and the chance to dream.<\/p>\n

According to him, at the heart of the foundation\u2019s new efforts is The Volt, a youth centre designed as a safe space where teenagers can speak openly about their emotions, receive mentorship, learn life skills, explore technology and understand mental health issues. He says the centre will also provide warm meals \u201cbecause no child can grow on an empty stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Migration activist Ebrima Drammeh, widely known as Ebrima Migration Situation, gave a sobering account of the dangers of irregular migration. He said many Gambians embarked on the Mediterranean route hoping for a better future, only to face danger, exploitation and suffering.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not welcomed in Europe as economic migrants,\u201d he said. \u201cRight now, three boats that left this weekend are at sea with more than 600 Gambians. No one knows their whereabouts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drammeh disclosed that from November 1st to 25th at least 1,960 Gambians attempted the journey on various boats, with 24 deaths recorded and hundreds of women and children intercepted or returned. \u201cThis is not the solution,\u201d he warned. \u201cWe can build our own Gambia if we join hands and create opportunities here.\u201d<\/p>\n

CEO of DBC Printing Company, Ousman Dembell, encouraged the foundation to continue its work, saying young Gambians need support and alternatives to risky migration.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I can make it here, others can too,\u201d he said, urging the government to expand job creation and skills programmes.<\/p>\n

The launching ceremony closed with renewed calls for unity, youth empowerment and long-term investment in mental health as key steps towards reducing back-way migration.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Gambia<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. The Taranga Youth Foundation Friday launched its programmes at St Anthony\u2019s church in Kololi aimed at empowering young Gambians through mental health support, skills training and safe spaces for young people to grow. Founder and CEO Jacob Francis Sarr said the initiative was inspired by his concern for the growing challenges facing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":91173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-91174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-gambia"],"yoast_head":"\nFoundation Moves to Tackle Mental Health, Back-Way Migration - Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Taranga Youth Foundation Friday launched its programmes at St Anthony\u2019s church in Kololi aimed at empowering youn ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/foundation-moves-to-tackle-mental-health-back-way-migration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Foundation Moves to Tackle Mental Health, Back-Way Migration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Taranga Youth Foundation Friday launched its programmes at St Anthony\u2019s church in Kololi aimed at empowering youn ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/foundation-moves-to-tackle-mental-health-back-way-migration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gambia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-02T07:00:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-02T07:22:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/12\/sm_1764647508.849061.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/foundation-moves-to-tackle-mental-health-back-way-migration#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/foundation-moves-to-tackle-mental-health-back-way-migration\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Foundation Moves to Tackle Mental Health, Back-Way Migration\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-02T07:00:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-02T07:22:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/foundation-moves-to-tackle-mental-health-back-way-migration\"},\"wordCount\":443,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/foundation-moves-to-tackle-mental-health-back-way-migration#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2025\/12\/sm_1764647508.849061.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Gambia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/foundation-moves-to-tackle-mental-health-back-way-migration#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/foundation-moves-to-tackle-mental-health-back-way-migration\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/foundation-moves-to-tackle-mental-health-back-way-migration\",\"name\":\"Foundation Moves to Tackle Mental Health, Back-Way Migration - 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