The Blog

ITC’s Tekki Fii Project in The Gambia – targeting job creation for young people – comes to a close; focus now shifts to job creation under the new National Employment Policy.

32-year-old Omar Fofana has grown to become an ardent cultivator on a 50-meter square land. Annually, he cultivates groundnut and has so far expanded to grow cashew trees. For years, this has been the young farmer’s source of living. He is also a poultry farmer with 35 chickens and 4 ducks. He has a sizeable plantation of cassava. Farming is a daily activity for Omar.

With a rich cultural heritage, beautiful sandy beaches, breath-taking sunset, hospitable people, and a pleasant weather, The Gambia - The Smiling Coast of Africa, is undoubtedly one of Africa’s top tourist countries.

Until the outbreak of Covid-19, the country has over the years attracted visitors in numbers from all over the world, especially European countries. This surge in the number of visitors comes with benefits for the economy and subsequently the people. The sector is the highest foreign exchange earner and one of the major employers of Gambians, especially women and young people.

The...

The International Trade Centre, through its European Union-funded Jobs, Skills and Finance programme for women and youth, graduated 600 women and young people in 20 Farmer Business Schools across the country.

When the journey to Europe became the only hope for survival, Kawsu Jaiteh did not mind if that meant taking the irregular route. After much struggle, he made it to Libya through the Mediterranean Sea. Kawsu travelled with only a skill in painting which rendered his hopes for success futile. With so many challenges and unpleasant experiences he made his way back home.

Musa Sarr, commonly known as “MUART” is a 21-year-old Gambian passionate about fine art. His expertise ranges from Mural, Portrait painting, and Graffiti lettering. Musa inherited painting skills from both maternal and paternal grandparents. “I never attended any Art school, l am a self-taught painter,” he puts. Unknowing to him that this could transform into a profit-making venture, Musa started with Carpentry and Welding to sustain a decent livelihood.

Inspired by the natural colors of fabrics, the beauty in nature, and how that can translate into exquisite designs that sit immaculately on the skin, Mariama Ceesay ventured into tailoring and fashion with a hope to enhance beauty embedded in clothing. Her family and community members were her first customers. They would patronize her business and promote it to help expand her customer base.

At 21, Momodou was already convinced that, contrary to popular opinion that one can only make it outside The Gambia, it is very possible to make it in The Gambia. It just takes hard work. It was from that point on that he started working towards becoming a different person in acquiring skills and shaping his future.

[Banjul, 23 June 2022] NACCUG and the International Trade Centre (ITC) wish to inform the public and all prospective TVET mini-grant applicants that applications for the TVET Grant is closing on 24 June 2022.

The TVET Mini-Grant was launched in February 2022 with the objective of supporting 200 graduates from technical and vocational training programmes to establish their own businesses. This initiative has been met with great demand. To date, NACCUG has received more than 400 applications to this support. More than 150 applications have already been approved.

The TVET Mini-Grant is an initiat...