The Blog

Agriculture remains the leading employer of youth and women in The Gambia, especially in rural areas. The sector, however, is faced with a myriad of challenges. The climate crisis, especially erratic rainfall continues to disrupt the livelihood of smallholder rural farmers. This has reduced crop yield and by extension, the income of rural farmers.

“My biggest motivation has been wanting to do things that people think cannot be done by a woman.” Ellen S. Sambou has the zeal to defy the odds in a male-dominated field. Studying Refrigeration and Air conditioning at GTTI was an undertaking meant to encourage more women to challenge the norm and realize their full potential. “I chose this because it is a field widely dominated by men and women should not be left behind,” she shared. In the beginning, it was not easy for Ellen as the stereotypes kicked in, but her drive to achieve measurable results in this field for a fair workforce kept her moving. Like many students who juggle adult life and higher education, the financial burden almost became unbearable. However, the determined Ellen knew she was meant to overcome every obstacle that was to serve as a deterrent in achieving her vision.

Driven by the need to move brands and tell stories, Baboucarr Njie founded Outboost Media Analytics in January 2020 to support businesses and institutions reach their target audience and sell their services efficiently. The business started in a pandemic brought forth its unique setbacks. “The COVID had just begun and Outboost had an extremely low capacity due to being a privately funded business with no funding facility.” He outlined.

Abdourahman Jobarteh like a lot of his friends had the intention to travel abroad for a better life until a family member convinced him to stay and find a meaningful job in The Gambia. Nothing made sense to him at first until he was told to apply for a Gambia Investment Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) supported program on poultry. “I learned about poultry from GIEPA. I was involved in layers and later saw myself in broilers. But the programme took us to the livestock farm in Abuko where we learned in both theory and practical," he said, which has been very meaningful in shaping his understanding of the field.

As a young person growing up in The Gambia, Muhammed Ceesay, a native of Sinchu always thought it was impossible to make it in The Gambia. Thoughts of traveling abroad engulfed him until he started seeing his friends die in the Mediterranean Sea including his childhood friend, which became a point of call for him.

Fast-forward to 2018 he started studying at Sterling Skills Training Center (SSTC). This was after he challenged himself to do better in business and inspire young like-minded Gambian. Through the SkYE Fund, He underwent entrepreneurship training that shaped his business perspective ...

29-year-old Sainabou Gaye is the proprietress of the African Swag Collection, a fashion brand she started with just D3000 from which she purchased a domestic sewing machine, scissors, and other necessary equipment. Working from home at the early days of the business was tough on the young Sainabou, “but today my brand can be listed among the top-ten fashion brands in The Gambia.” Proudly adding that it started with a domestic machine to an industrial production center that has a separate showroom and equally employs and trains young Gambians.

Ndey Fatou Jabang is a Choreographer, Actress, Media personality, Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni, and a dance entrepreneur in The Gambia. She is the founder of Flex Fuzion Dance Academy and Entertainment, the premier dance company and School in The Gambia offering dance classes to promote a healthy lifestyle and career channels for young people.

At the Mile 2 Central Prison, located on the outskirts of Banjul, visitors are now greeted with the sight of prisoners managing a micro-garden and producing soaps in the courtyard. A few meters from the main gate of the prison is a green micro-garden managed and maintained by inmates. During the Youth Empowerment Project’s visit to the institution, the happy-looking inmates can be seen pulling weeds and watering the crops with the expectation of a bumper harvest in a month's time. In conjunction, other inmates have inputs ready to produce soaps.

As a first timer at the Trade Fair Gambia International, Adama never thought that by the end of the trade event she would only be transporting empty tables, chairs and an array of networks back to her shop in Serrekunda.