P2RS training aims to bolster youth and women on advance helpful knowledge, says Mrs. Tamba

Olimatou S. Tamba Asst. BDONema/P2RS Training

The Assistant Business Development Officer of the Building Resilience against Food Insecurity in the Sahel (P2RS) project, Madam Olimatou S. Tamba has said that their trainings are designed to upgrade effective knowledge and skills on business development in rural regions.

She was speaking at the official opening ceremony of a 4-day training programme held from 14 to 17 November 2016 at the Microfinance centre in Brikamaba, Central River Region, for rural women and youth on business and income generating methods. 

The overall goal of this training, according to her, is to raise effective knowledge and skills on rural women and youth to become self reliant at the end of the training.

“One of the key activities of the training will focus on guideline on writing business plans thus the training has been designed to be practical with exercises to provide skills”, Tamba noted.

She used the opportunity to encourage rural women and youth drawn from CRR north and south to participate fully while calling on them to share experiences and exchange information among themselves for the benefit of others.

“I hope that the discussions in this training and the information shared will be applied effectively in your business career,” she concluded.

 Mr. Ousman Colley, Regional Agricultural Director, CRR South gave P2RS thumbs-up, saying  this kind of trainings will immensely improve the livelihood of rural youth and women as the developed business plan can be use to get funding from the agricultural projects.

 “I am impress with the turnout, these clearly demonstrated the interest P2RS has committed itself in training youth and women to advance their lives.

“Therefore, let’s take the training seriously and put the knowledge into good use. It is only learning by practical that you can implement easily and successfully, Mr. Colley added.

He reminded participants of the agricultural matching grants, noting that the matching grants are for Gambian farmers and they- women and youth should endeavor to make sure that they submit bankable business plans to access finance.

Mr. Ade Joseph Taylor, Executive Group Ltd, Partner Manager whom P2RS contracted to conduct the training, expressed appreciation to P2RS project- a component managed by the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project (Nema).

 He disclosed to participants that a second level training will be organized based on performance, in which the ‘best’ will be selected.

He told them that an assessment will be conducted at the end of the training to select the best for the next level.

 Mr. Foday Barrow, the Nema Focal Point, chaired the ceremony while putting to rural women and youth to take the advantage by learning more.

Participants were from Nema/P2RS partners- Women Bureau, Global Youth Innovation Network Gambia Chapter (GYIN Gambia), National Enterprise Development Initiative (NEDI) as well as the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS) among others.

At the end of the training, participants are expected to be awarded certificate of participation.