Young People Without Borders

The organisation, YPWB, was established in Sifoe village in response to demands from the community, especially from the youth, for an organised effort to develop the village and the country and improve the living conditions. From the outset the environment was in focus. The Gambia was once a green belt along the River Gambia but is now nearly deforested – and The Gambia was clean, but is now polluted by garbage dumped along the roadside and everywhere. YPWB has therefore engaged in treeplanting. Likewise, YPWB has engaged in collecting plastic garbage – YPWB has constructed an office building using plastic bottles stuffed full with pieces of plastic. A project now in development is a plastic recycling plant, where new plastic goods are produced from recycled plastic waste. Another focus has been on vocational training. YPWB established in 2015 a skill center, where young people gets trained in practical skills – tailoring, hairdressing, etc. – with which to earn a living. The buildings housing the skill center have been, partially, constructed by the YPWB members as volunteer workforce. YPWB was involved in installing a water network in Sifoe village in cooperation with the Danish organisation Seniors without Borders using a grant from Grundfos, the pump factory. Furthermore, YPWB has been involved in extending the electricity network to neighborhoods located outside of the network. YPWC collaborates with a youth organisation across the border to Senegal, an area with an independence movement and prone to conflicts. YPWB had there a week long seminar exploring ways for peace keeping and non-violent conflict resolution. Furthermore, YPWB does community service, for example after the rainy season clearing vegetation along the road that blocks the visibility and constitute safety hazards.