To mark the 8th anniversary of the first 2018 cohort of the National Youth Service (SNJ), alumni gathered on Saturday, August 29, 2018, at the Ouezzin COULIBALY Stadium for a team-building match, held under the patronage of Major General Keba SANGARÉ, Governor of the Dioïla Region.
This sporting event aimed to foster reunions, strengthen fraternal bonds, and reinforce camaraderie among the members of the first SNJ cohort.
Beyond the sporting aspect, this gathering sought to preserve the values acquired during their training and maintain the ties that bind the alumni. Representing the patron, Colonel-Major Ousmane Alou Diallo, known as Boubou, President of the Association of Former Members of the National Youth Service (AMA-SNJ), emphasized the importance of this reunion. According to him, their time in the SNJ allowed young people to acquire values of citizenship, responsibility, discipline, and patriotism.
He encouraged the alumni to maintain the bonds of brotherhood and to make this event a regular occurrence. "The benefits of training are not measured solely by the knowledge acquired, but also by the ability to remain united and contribute positively to society," he stressed. He also considered this gathering an opportunity to strengthen camaraderie and to pass on the values of unity and cohesion to future generations. Speaking at the event, the president of the Inter-cohort, Corporal Fousseyni Diarra, recalled that August 29, 2018, marked the departure of the first cohort of the newly reformed National Youth Service (SNJ) to the Bapho Basic Joint Training Center. He stated that this date remains a particularly significant memory for the members of the graduating class and, more broadly, for all young people who benefited from this military training, which is based on patriotism, civic spirit, and moral values.
Corporal Diarra also paid a heartfelt tribute to the fallen comrades. He urged the veterans to remain true to the SNJ motto: "Learn – Serve – Defend." “May the past eight years serve as a foundation for the years to come, and may a member of the AMA-SNJ always remember this motto: united yesterday, united today, united forever in service to the Nation,” he declared.
For his part, the class president, Corporal Douga Adama Kanté, emphasized that, eight years after their time at the SNJ, their greatest asset remains the bond that continues to unite them. He called upon his comrades to preserve this cohesion, to support one another, and to pass on this legacy to future generations.
Thus, through sport, the 2018 SNJ cohort intends to keep alive the spirit that has guided them since their training.
This 8th anniversary celebration served above all as a reminder that the experience of representing the SNJ does not end with the completion of training: it continues in fraternity, solidarity, and commitment to serving the Nation.
The gathering concluded in a convivial atmosphere with a group photo and a shared meal, once again demonstrating the spirit of camaraderie that unites the veterans of the first cohort.
1Cl Alassane KANTÉ
