US embassy, Africell opens 2nd American corner

On Monday, the United States Embassy in Banjul in collaboration with Africell, a leading GSM service provider officially opened a new American Corner in Bundung.

The new corner, the second in Gambia, is situated at the GSM Company’s new customer care services building. The first is located at the Comium complex along the Kairaba Avenue.

The Corner will provide services ranging from culture, education, government, history, and current affairs, empirical literature, internet access, DVDs collections, books, videos etc meant to widen the horizon of all learners.

 The October 22, 2012 inauguration of the new American Corner adds to over 400 Corners in 60 countries worldwide. 

The American corners programme is a United States Department of State-sponsored initiative worldwide and was set in motion in the turn of the new millennium (year 2000).

One of the fundamental functions of the American corner is to make information about the United States available to the public. 

Commenting on this initiative of public-private partnership, American ambassador to Gambia, Mr. Edward M. Alford called Africell a “leader in private public partnership”. “Africell’s history in civic engagement said a lot about how dedicated it is to The Gambia,” he said.

The American Corner, he further stated, is something that will give Gambian youths the opportunity to learn more about the United States.

He said the American Conner is an opportunity for the public to learn more about the United States.

While stressing the need for every young man or woman to have excess to education in order to develop to their full potentials, Mr. Alford hailed the Gambia government for its stride in development, especially its commitment to halving universal primary education by 2015.

“If you look at The Gambia, we don’t have many areas where youths can explore and learn about other cultures and places and we do have limited libraries in the country,” Africell’s chief executive officer Badara Mbaye said.

Mr. Mbye expressed his company’s readiness to continue working with the US embassy and welcomes initiatives like this one (American Corner) in the near future. 

This new centre is dedicated to everyone who has an interest in what America is or has become, said Mr. Papa Leigh, an Africell senior marketing manager. 

While citing numerous beneficial social interventions under taken by Africell since its establishment, Mr. Leigh said: Africell continuously pride herself with the quality of service coupled with a caring and sharing approach to everything she is associated with.”

Written by Modou S. Joof

 

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