The 22^nd edition of SAFRA scheduled to kick off in two weeks time, will take place in Syllibabeh , in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

Ousman Jawo, Chairman of the Upper River Region Youth Committee who spoke to Pointsports said the week longyouth gatheringwill commence December 26 and run down to January 1, 2009.

Mr. Jawo said SAFRA is a week of friendship and fraternity adding that it is also a sub-regional programme at the grass-roots level between the major towns sharing our borders of the sub- region of Zone II countries. He said SAFRA has been going on since the 1980s and The Gambia has always been represented by URR and he revealed that SAFRA programme includes ,football, volleyball , tennis, symposium , cultural performances; and he emphasized that it is a youth exchange programme. Mr. Jawo said SAFRA gatherings are organized annually adding that the Womens Wing of the organization known as AF- SAFRA also have a sub- committee and Basse holds the followingpositions : Social and cultural secretaries. He expressed great pride that URR hosted SAFRA both in 1996 and 2007 in two of the most outstanding amongst the SAFRA programmes in the sub- region. He said SAFRA programme is co-ordinated and sponsored with the assistance from the Government of The Gambia, public corporations, private sectors, and the local communities and asserted that over 100 URR delegates are expected to attend this year’s SAFRA gathering in Syllibabeh, Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

According to Mr. Jawo URR delegation will beleaving for Mauritania on the 25^th December 2008 and he named themember countries of SAFRA whichconsists of Senegal , Guinea Bissau , Guinea Conakry , Mauritania , Mali and The Gambia.