Winner of the World Crossing Campaign (WCC) video competition, Mr Siakka. K. Dibba is using his €1000 prize money to implement a road safety project entitled, ‘Changing Minds – Saving Lives’ in the Gambia. The WCC was set up to present a visible global youth movement for road safety and inspire change.
When the World Crossing Campaign completed, the panel of judges at YOURS had a hard time choosing the best video to award €1000 for the implementation of a road safety project. However, when we watched Mr Siakka K Dibba’s videos, it was clear through his professionalism, dedication and creativity that the fund would be going to the right place.
Since the World Crossing Campaign, Mr Dibba, who was awarded the prize has been in correspondence with the National Youth Parliament of the Gambia. Our representative, Mr Ousman Conteh (An Honourable Member of the NYG) set up the initial correspondence to oversee the implementation of Mr Dibba’s road safety project.
The project, entitled, ‘Changing Minds – Saving Lives’ is a partnership between the National Youth Commission of Gambia Red Cross Society and the National Youth Parliament of the Gambia. The project aims to tackle the growing road safety problem in the Gambia with road traffic crashes at an all time high (Gambia Hazard Profile, 2005) and basic problems are seen to be the main cause of injury and death. These are identified as the lack of seatbelt usage, helmet usage, excessive speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and using mobile phones during driving.
The project will organize a week long media campaign on both print and electronic media, school tour and road safety training.
Media Campaign/outreach
Key messages will be developed and distributed to the print media. Radio and TV panel talk shows will also be organized geared towards raising awareness on road safety issues and this will provide the public with the opportunity to participate.
School Tour/outreach
2 Senior and 1 Junior Secondary Schools will be targeted to make public speeches during their assemblies or break time periods on issues pertaining to Road Safety. This will help to raise the level of awareness of student on the causes and precautionary measures to be taken to avert Road Traffic Crashes.
Road safety capacity building training and symposium
Road safety capacity building training will be organized, for the membership of the partnership organization, youth leaders, students and young journalist within the Greater Banjul area. This will help to build the capacity of young people who have very little knowledge on road safety since this will be the first ever training on road safety in The Gambia.
There will be a symposium at the end of the training were representatives from the WHO office in The Gambia, National Road Authority and other key stakeholders will make statement on road safety. Young people will also make recommendations as to how road traffic crash can be adverted in The Gambia.
YOURS wholeheartedly supports the project and knows it will be a great success. We are amazed at how far the prize money will go and look forward to reporting on the project’s successful implementation.