As fireworks, prayers, and celebrations marked the end of the year 2024, from Africa to Europe, FATE’s team members were able to look back on a successful start to the project. Both the concept and preparation phases were completed successfully, setting the project up for a new, exciting phase that both the FATE team and potential participants can look forward to.
The Mayork Senior Secondary School Survey
Also check out the post about the FATE Survey Session and much more from FATE and Inspiresouls on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/p/DFDWW2qoLad/
One of the efforts in early December 2024, with which the preparation phase was concluded, was a survey conducted by GYIN Gambia Chapter at the Mayork Senior Secondary School in The Gambia. This survey aimed to introduce the project, explain its objectives, and encourage student participation. It also helped better define the topics for the upcoming Youth Think Tank in The Gambia and thereby serves as a great example of the work that laid the groundwork for the project’s execution in 2025.
On the 6th of December, the FATE project team began their visit at Mayork Senior Secondary School by meeting with the school administration to discuss the project and its benefits for the students. This resulted in strong support and enthusiasm for the project, facilitating the following activities.
During a presentation, the students learned about the project’s upcoming phases, activities, and expected outcomes but also saw their role in addressing climate change highlighted. Students were also encouraged to share their experiences and concerns about climate change, providing valuable input for the project, and engage in discussions about climate challenges in their community to foster a sustainable future.
Finally, to gather feedback and insights, survey forms were distributed to interested students from grades 8, 9, and 11, ranging from 15 to 18 years old. Upon completion, they also received an application form to join the FATE project’s Local Youth Think Tank in The Gambia.
Students identified issues such as waste management, deforestation, and water scarcity as key challenges in their community and showed great interest in participating in the FATE project and contributing to climate action. In fact, when flyers and T-shirts were distributed, with so much excitement from the students, the demand for T-shirts exceeded the supply and the FATE team was asked to bring more at the beginning of the Local Youth Think Tank.
Implications for the Youth Think Tanks and beyond
The insights gained from the students during the survey contribute to a better understanding of what topics will be most valuable to tackle during the Youth Think Tanks. Three leading questions throughout all Youth Think Tanks in The Gambia, Rwanda, and Germany will be:
1. What does Climate Change mean to me?
2. What actions can I take within my community to create a positive environmental impact?
3. How can I then refer to what I have learned in this exchange (in terms of content, social exchange, career) in my future?
The students‘ input and engagement will continue to be invaluable, defining the successful exchange and teamwork during both local and cross-continental Youth Think Tanks. Within tandem groups, comprised of participants from all three countries, connected with the help of an online hub, students and farmers will be able to exchange their unique perspectives beyond geographical boundaries. This exchange fuels creative and comprehensive new perspectives and solutions, founded on a diverse set of backgrounds. This will not only create a valuable final product but also fuel personal and academic growth and actions towards a sustainable future, something that FATE aims to facilitate and, by means of the Sustainment phase as the final phase, sustain even beyond the project’s lifetime.
We can now look forward to a great new year – one that will see the project first enter the execution phase. This phase and this year promise to be exciting, as FATE sets in motion to inspire youth through unique opportunities like the local and cross-continental Youth Think Tanks to become bridge builders between continents, driving global solutions for a sustainable future.