E.P.I.C.

Coaches of Influence Foundation's (COIF) focus in 2019 is "IMPACT". We are kicking off the year with our first E.P.I.C Empowerment 2019 Youth Forum. The theme of the forum, “Preparing for the Baton”, was birthed by COIF out of a vision to equip youth in The Gambia with skills, knowledge and attitudes to transition to the world of adulthood, responsibilities, leadership and work.

At COIF, we aspire to help young people and women to realize how they have been conditioned to think or view themselves and help them to bridge the gap between their current and future state. And because we know that walking in one’s potential begins with understanding self, discovering ‘self’ and truly identifying one’s life mission; we have positioned our organization to be a highly trusted institute to equip youth and women to unleash their power and potential through the development programs that we offer.

Registration is required (see below). Registration begins Monday, December 24th 2018 and closes on Monday, January 7th 2019.

Event Properties

Event Date	01-12-2019 10:00 am
Event End Date	01-12-2019 3:30 pm
Registration Start Date	12-23-2018 9:00 am
Capacity	300
Available place	0
Cut off date	01-11-2019 11:00 pm
Individual Price	Free
Location	Semaj Garden Marquee - Bijilo

Agendas

Panel 1	Economic Empowerment Is the empowerment approach that focuses on equipping youth with skills, knowledge and attitudes to transition to the world of adulthood, responsibilities, leadership and work. In the 21st Century world, many nations in the continent of Africa have adapted some effective programs to provide youths with leadership skills, financial education and access to finance, entrepreneurship training, business start-up programs and a voice for advocacy, just to name a few.  How can we prepare the youths of The Gambia for life-long career management, building resilience for challenges in entrepreneurship, creating asset & financial portfolio and adapting effective leadership skills?  What specific programs are available and how can they leverage these opportunities?
Panel 2	Personal Empowerment Youths in many cultures generally lack the skills to take charge of their lives, set goals or make positive choices to help them fulfill their potential. Through education and effective programs, youths can discover the values they uphold, the passions buried deep within them and areas that need development to enhance their skills and turn them into effective community, organization, national and global leaders.  How can we empower youths to embrace the philosophy of finding their “why” of life, developing a vision of where they want to be, and seeking personal development in order to continue navigating towards success against the tides they face daily in their lives?
Panel 3	Intellectual Empowerment Education is fundamental to holistic development and growth and empowers people to create a connection between ideas and contexts. This generation is fortunate to have access to information and new ideas that can facilitate critical thinking and create a pathway toward success.  What values does intellectual empowerment bring to the youths in The Gambia?  In what ways can we create and foster an environment that is literate in all aspects of life?
Panel 4	Cultural Empowerment There is a general belief that ‘knowing the past helps one to understand the present and navigate to the future”. However; with a world that is generally losing the authenticity of its culture to new-age technology and adapted social lifestyles, it is evidently challenging for youths in Africa to preserve the integrity of their heritage and culture as the years go by. It is also true that through media, the authenticity of the African heritage has been somewhat compromised by those who control the narrative.  How can we ensure that youths in The Gambia will learn about their culture, maintain their cultural identity, evaluate values, philosophies, traditions and behaviors that contribute to low self-esteem?  How can the youths gain a sense of self-worth and become ambassadors of their nation wherever they may find themselves?