Banjul, 12 May 2026: His Excellency Mohammed B.S. Jallow, Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia, on Friday, 8 May, received His Excellency Eugene S. Young, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy, at his office at the State House, where both sides reaffirmed the enduring partnership between The Gambia and the United States, particularly in advancing national school feeding initiatives and social development programmes.
The high-level engagement focused on ongoing cooperation between the two countries, with particular emphasis on the implementation of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) school feeding programme, which is supported by the United States Government in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of The Gambia.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Mr. Young described the discussions with the Vice President as “very positive,” noting that both governments remain fully aligned on the objectives and future of the programme.
“The Government of the United States and the Government of The Gambia are fully on the same page when it comes to this programme,” he stated. “The partnership we have with the government is very successful in this particular endeavour.”
The U.S. diplomat highlighted that the United States remains the world’s largest donor to the World Food Programme and continues to support critical sectors in The Gambia as part of a longstanding bilateral relationship spanning more than six decades.
According to Mr. Young, the current school feeding initiative is a five-year programme valued at 28 million U.S. dollars, launched in 2022 and expected to run through 2027.
He explained that the programme is designed not only to provide immediate support to Gambian schoolchildren, but also to gradually strengthen the country’s capacity to independently manage and sustain school feeding initiatives in the future.
“There’s a graduation process to this,” he remarked. “Down the road, I have no doubt the Gambian government will be able to take this programme on 100 percent.”
Mr. Young further praised the strong diplomatic ties between the two nations, noting that the relationship extends beyond government-to-government cooperation and includes civil society organisations, NGOs, development partners, and the private sector.
“It’s about government, American farmers, civil society, and NGOs like CRS,” he said. “None of us can do this by ourselves. It takes all these different partners public and private working together.”
The meeting underscored the continued commitment of both The Gambia and the United States to strengthening collaboration in education, food security, and national development, while reinforcing a partnership that officials say continues to grow from strength to strength.
By Mariatou Ngum & Abdou Mbye