Workshoptrips

Empowerment Workshop Journey Gambia

Gambia is the birthplace of Yepafrica. For over 15 years, we have been training young people in empowerment, entrepreneurship, and marketing at our Learning Center here. We would love to introduce you to our approach, the youth, and life in Gambia.

Target Audience

Participants in our Empowerment Workshop Journeys (8 days) are often entrepreneurs or enterprising individuals, but also include teachers or professionals. It's essential that, as a participant, you open your heart to the youth and approach life in Gambia with an open mind. You might join to share your own knowledge, but you'll find that you learn a lot from this journey as well. For many participants, it's also a week of reflection on their own lives. The beautiful and profound African culture and nature make it an unforgettable experience.

A Yepafrica workshop is an inspiring event where you gain new energy and refreshing insights.

We specifically target individuals with an entrepreneurial, curious, and social spirit who seek new energy and inspiration to increase their impact on the world and make the right choices in their own lives.

The language used during interactions with the youth is English.

Introduction to Yepafrica and Gambia

During the journey, you will become acquainted with the four core values that give our youth 'Yeppiness':

• Empowerment
• Entrepreneurship
• Ethics
• Equality

Together with the local Yepafrica team and Gambian youth, you actively contribute to Yepafrica projects. You might brainstorm on issues, participate in a workshop, informational session, or symposium, and visit young entrepreneurs and often a school. A recurring theme in many discussions is the route of illegal immigration to Europe via the 'Back Way.' You will hear stories of missing boats but also how the Yeppers* inspire others to stay in Gambia and build a future in their own country.

* Yeppers are youth who have undergone a Yepafrica training in empowerment.

Sharing Experiences
A Yepafrica coach from the Netherlands supports and guides you throughout the journey. And of course, you share your experiences with the other participants, who often quickly form a close-knit group. This is comforting because the journey, the conversations, and the poverty in the country can be intense at times. It's nice to be able to share that with each other.

Program

We stay at the Lemon Creek hotel in Bijilo (if available), a simple but comfortable seaside hotel where you can easily walk to the beach. We tailor a program for each trip. But here's what you'll experience during this week, at the very least:

• Visit to the local market.
• Meet local Yeppers.
• Visit to several businesses run by Yeppers and possibly a school.
• Visit to the Yepafrica Learning Center and interactions with the youth leading the center and providing training.
• If you wish, you can conduct a workshop at the Yepafrica Learning Center for youth or our trainers. We coordinate this well in advance of the journey.
• Visit to a Yepper's family with lunch at the compound (where the family lives).
• Experience the differences in lifestyle and stress levels between our culture and African culture.
• Contribute ideas on issues facing youth or the local Yepafrica organization.

Part of the program also includes (subject to change) a bantaba (information session on migration in a village or school), an empowerment workshop, or a symposium.

When

We organize multiple trips per year, usually in January, March/April, early June, and November. In 2024, the following trips are planned:

• Sunday, 21 April - NO MORE SPACE
• Sunday, June 2
• November 2024 (exact dates not yet known)

The journey lasts for 8 days.

Costs

You book the journey (flight and hotel with breakfast) in consultation with the Yepafrica tour leader. This way, you decide how you want to travel (carry-on/checked baggage, type of airplane seat) and whether you might want to extend your stay.

All-inclusive Program
For the program in Gambia, you pay 800 euros. You will receive an invoice for this.

This amount includes:

• All meals (lunch and dinner) and drinks (until 10 pm)
  In consultation with the participants, we have dinners both at the hotel and in various restaurants.
• All excursions included in the program
  There is one free day within the program where you can make an excursion on your own or with the group. Those costs are not included in the program. If you choose to stay at the hotel on that day, the costs of food and drinks at the hotel are included.
• Transportation in Gambia
  We collaborate with two regular taxi drivers in Gambia. They pick us up from - and take us to - the airport and accompany us during all excursions.

Personal Costs

• Flight costs
• Hotel and breakfast costs
• Airport Tax (€20 on arrival and €20 on departure)
• Souvenirs
• Personal excursions

 

Contact and Registration

The journeys are organized and guided by Sabine Kokee, the country coordinator of Yepafrica Gambia. Sabine has been working for Yepafrica in Gambia since 2013 and is an educational publisher and a social and cultural entrepreneur in her daily life.
Feel free to contact us for more information! If you want to register for the journey, send us an email. We will then provide you with the registration form.

Email: sabine@yepafrica.org
Phone: 06 - 23 56 51 84

The journey proceeds with a minimum of 3 participants (maximum 6 participants). Therefore, wait to book the flight until it is definitively confirmed that the journey will take place, so that we can book the same hotel for all participants.

Masterclass coaching

If you would like to develop your coaching skills, a Master Class COACHING trip would be perfect for you.

During this journey, you will be challenged by Mertine Midelkoop in the areas of coaching and personal  growth. Due to her professional experience in coaching individuals, teams and organisations and her experience in Africa, she is the ideal person to guide this Master Class, plus she is an inspiration to others.

 

Learning from each other and from different cultures plays a central role.

 

Each trip is tailored to the participants in terms of programme (maximum 4 participants excluding local participants).

This Master Class creates an inspiring climate in which each participant brings their full self to life and make his or her own personal journey of discovery. Along with the local participants and the trainers from the Yepafrica Learning Centre, this Master Class is energising and empowering.

The Master Class takes place in April every year.

 

For more information info@yepafrica.org