NICE Gambia, in collaboration with CCF launched a 1 million Dalasi IT scholarship project for the children of the Western Region at Jamisa Skills Centre in Brikama on Saturday.

Deputising for the SoS for Communication, Information and Technology (SoSCIT) at the occasion, Acting Permanent at DoSCIT Mr. Abdou Karim Sonko, said NICE Gambia is complimenting Government efforts in the IT sector by bringing IT to the doorsteps of Gambians.

He commended NICE and CCF for coming up with such a laudable initiative in the Western Region and urged parents to make sure that their children take the scholarship package seriously for the betterment of their future.

Mr. Sonko stated that NICE also offers training to people in both their Brikama café and in Wellingara.
 
Speaking earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of NICE Gambia Omar Njie, said the number two goal of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) is where NICE is positioning its core business efforts. This is to achieve universal primary education for all which, he noted, is the aim of having every child be they a boy or a girl complete a course in primary schooling.

Mr. Njie stated that the aim of NICE is in line with the MDG’s adding that by 2015 every Gambian child will be able to use a computer and will be communicating with each other through NICE centres.

Mr. Njie pointed out that last year six programme areas of CCF within the Western Region signed an agreement with Net4kids, a charitable foundation based in Holland, to the tune of 61,975 Euro. This is equivalent to over D2 million.

According to him half of this money will be used to develop NICE IT courses on basic PC fundamentals, IT diploma courses, marketing travel and tourism courses, business management, teachers IT training and secretarial IT training.

For his part, the Governor of Western Region, Abdou F.M. Badjie, commended NICE and CCF for bringing the scholarship package to his region. Governor Badjie assured NICE and CCF that the children of his region will make the best use of the package.

At the end of the ceremony a raffle draw was held for the people of the Western Region in which people won televisions, DVD players, Comium Nokia mobile phones, Sim cards and Africell prizes among other things.

Present at the occasion were CCF officials, Reliance Financial Services representatives, the National Assembly Member for Kombo North Hon. Adama Cham and the regional Education Officer in Brikama.