GYINers Set To Commemorate World Entrepreneurs’ Day

Preparations are ongoing at the Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN) Gambia Chapter to commemorate the World Entrepreneurs’ Day (WED) on the 21^st August, 2019 in grand style.

The World Entrepreneurs’ Day is a day set aside to create awareness for entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership throughout the Gambia.

Matching Grant Beneficiaries Praise Nema Project

Mr Musa Bah 

President of Bolongdala Rice Processing

The beneficiaries of the Matching Grant Facility, which is being provided by the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project (Nema) have expressed heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the Benefactor for supporting their various youth groups with processing and pressing machines.

Last month on 21^st June, 2019, fourteen youth groups across the length and breadth of the country received over sixteen rice, cereal processing and oil pressing machines through the Nema project Matching Grant Scheme at a presentation held at its office grounds in Abuko.

The Matching grant is designed to innovate, develop and build medium term financial services adapted to women and youth groups and individual-based Small and Medium Enterprises.

In an exclusive with, one of the beneficiaries of the machines, Ahagie Muya Baldeh, the president of Mbaalondiren Youth Development Association from Basse in Upper River Region commended the Nema project for the gesture, noting that the machines came at the right time as there is only one processing machine in their community which is owned by a Senegalese national.

Subject of Mockery turns to Source of Inspiration

GYINer Amie Colley

As young entrepreneur breaking records in her community

By Mariam Saine

Meet Amie Colley, a young entrepreneur from Somita Village, West Coast Region (WCR) has told Mansa Banko that market vendors especially women in her community used to make mockery of her for being an educated young woman and at the same competing with them at the market as a vegetable vendor. 

Mrs. Colley is an active member of the Global Youth Innovation Network Gambia Chapter (GYIN Gambia Chapter)- www.gyingambia.gm 

Today, according to her, with the help of her food processing trainings, she is serving as a role model and source of inspiration to them as most of them are now learning from her skills.

She is the proprietress of Amie’s Food Processing and Commercialization. Her brand includes pepper sause, Kaba Jam, Papaya Jam, Mango Jam, Tomato Paste, Gari, Garlic Syrup, Bitter cola and Ginger syrup, etc.

On Nema Project’s Largesse to 14 Youth Groups

Musa Bah from Wassu, Central River Region North (GYINer)

By Mariam Saine

As part of its intervention to support youth and women in agricultural production and productivity, the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project, dubbed Nema, on Friday, 21 June, 2019 handed over sixteen (16) rice and cereal processing machines and accessories to fourteen (14) youth groups across the country.The presentation of the items was held at a colorful ceremony at the Nema office in Abuko.

The provision of the said equipment, made possible through the Nema Matching Grant facility, is geared towards ensuring that the intended services are provided to the smallholder farmers.

GYIN Gambia ELIT 2019 Summer Camp to Hold on July 21 in Basse

ELIT summer camp on a field visit at Ever Green  

Churchill’s Town, June 20, 2019 -- The 4^th edition of the National Youth Summer Camp on Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Information Technology (ELIT) will be held in Basse, Upper River Region (URR) from 21 – 31 July, 2019.

This year’s 10-day youth camp will allow young people to acquire relevant knowledge and skills to start and successfully manage an enterprise or business ventures, the organizer, GYIN Gambia said in a statement on Thursday.

It is to be held under the theme ‘Transforming youth into agents of change in agribusiness ventures’. Sixty (60) participants selected from across the six Agricultural Directorates in The Gambia are to take part in the camp.

New policies and investments urgently needed in support of rural youth in poorest countries, says a new UN report

Rome, 18 June 2019 –  Effective policies and investments are urgently needed if the world's poorest countries are to offer a future to hundreds of millions of marginalized young people living in rural areas, according to a new report released today by the United Nations' International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The 2019 Rural Development Report - Creating opportunities for rural youth shows that about 500 million young people, about half of the youth population of developing countries, live in rural areas.  This number rises to 780 million  when  semi-rural and peri-urban areas are included. These young people are prone to poverty and inequality and are held back by a series of constraints, including lack of training and skills, limited access to land and credit,  scarce availability of inputs and restricted links to social networks. 

Six cooperatives supported by Nema-Chosso generate D11M

Nema-Chosso Project Director, Mr. Gassama

By Mamadou Edrisa Njie

In an exclusive interview on Tuesday, 18^th June, 2019, with the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project (Nema), Mr. Momodou L. Gassama, the Project Director, gave the latest updates on some of the project’s success with special focus on support to cooperatives and linkages between producers, economic operators and other actors of the value chain. These initiatives have been ongoing since the start of project implementation in 2012.

“Over the last 2 years, the cooperatives have generated cumulative savings of more than eleven million dalasis (D11,000,000,000) from the purchase and sale of fertilizer alone,” he disclosed.

According to him, the six cooperatives were created in the cluster areas of: Boiram and Kudang in Central River Region South (CRR South), Bajarally Suba in Central River Region North (CRR North), Jurunku and Salikene in North Bank Region (NBR) and Pakalinding in Lower River Region (LRR).

ELIT Alumni turns Champion Cashew Farmer

Modou Lamin Sanyang, C.E.O ML Business Venture

Introducing Modou Lamin Sanyang, a Cashew Farmer cum Poultry Producer. He is the proprietor of ML Business Venture in Foni Bulock Village, West Coast Region.

As an uprising young entrepreneur in his native Village, Sanyang was motivated to venture into cashew farming after attending the first edition of GYIN Gambia’s Entrepreneurship Leadership Information and Technology (ELIT) National  Youth Summer Camp in 2016, during which he expanded his father’s cashew farm as a fulltime business.

GYIN GAMBIA HELD PARTNERSHIP MEETING WITH DRAMMEH MENTORSHIP AND LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Today, 28^th March, 2019, Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN) Gambia received a delegation from Drammeh Mentorship and Leadership Academy (DMLA) to discuss partnership agreement on common thematic areas between the two parties.

The meeting, held at the GYIN Gambia secretariat in Churchill’s Town, was triggered by DMLA’s interest in building partnership with GYIN.

Speaking at the meeting, the pioneer and leader of the Academy, Mr Alagie Drammeh said the DMLA is a non-political and non-profit body that is specifically designed to support and encourage young people to manage their own learning in order to maximize their potentials, develop their skills and improve their performances.

GYINers Conquering the Agribusiness Market

Introducing GYINer Ebrima Janko of Sotuma Sere from Upper River Region, the Proprietor of EJ Enterprise.

Janko, a farmer by profession, is into cultivation and marketing of food crops such as groundnuts, coos, millet, etc and also serves as a middleman between farmers and wholesalers.

As a young man, he gained popularity in the Lumos because he is a Sarahule by tribe and most of the time they don’t engage in such businesses.

He does not only stop at growing crops but goes the extra mile to sell wide range of commodities to meet his customers demand.

Janko has a motor bike and two (2) freezers one of which is used by his wife to sell water and local beverages, he uses the second one to sell frozen chicken to the surrounding communities.

According to Janko, he uses the motor bike as his means of transportation to reach out to farmers, wholesalers and to the Local markets (Lumos).

GYIN GAMBIA TO GRADUATE 50 YOUTHS ON ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT MENTORSHIP

The Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN) Gambia chapter- www.gyingambia.gm   will on Saturday, 16^th March, 2019 hold a graduation ceremony for 50 (fifty) young people who undergone its six months Youth Mentorship Programme on Enterprise Management.

The graduation ceremony, which will be held at the Agricultural Rural Farmers’ Training Center in Jenoi, Lower River Region (LRR), is the second batch of GYIN Gambia’s coaching and mentoring programme.

Funded solely by the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP)- www.yep.gm, the Youth Mentorship Programme on Enterprise Management has been designed to provide support for the mentees on Understanding business ecosystem, Banking and finance, Applying grants and loans as well as Records keeping. 

Stakeholders Dilate on GYIN Gambia Rural Youth Awards

Mariama Krubally

By: Kebba AF Touray
Stakeholders in youth empowerment spheres in Basse, have spoken extensively on the significance of the forthcoming Rural Youth Awards 2019, to be organize by the Global Youth Innovation Network Gambia Chapter dubbed GYIN Gambia Chapter.

This year's event is scheduled to take place in Wuli West, Upper River Region (URR) from the 25^th – 27^th April, 2019.

The award aims to support youth in their entrepreneurial and agricultural endeavours, so as to engage them in meaningful ventures.

Speaking in an interview, Mr. Kebba Sillah, Director of Wuli and Sandu Development Association(WASDA), said the award will broaden the financial resource base of the beneficiaries, as well impact positively on the entrepreneurial aspirations of the awardees and by extension encourage others to double their efforts to also benefit from the award.

GYIN-Gambia Rural Youth Award NOC meets NYC Executive Director

#GYINGambiaRYA2019 Chairperson, Sarjo Jarju

The Global Youth Innovation Network - Gambia’s Rural Youth Award National Organizing Committee members on Wednesday paid a courtesy call to the executive director of the National Youth Council, Lamin Darboe to inform him about the upcoming third edition of the awards 2019.

The award recognises and celebrates the achievements of rural youths in entrepreneurship and agribusiness. This year’s theme is “Discovering Rural Value Chain by Putting Young People in Agricultural Value Addition.”

The awards provide financial support to deserving agribusiness players to not only grow their businesses, but serves as an encouragement for them and others to stay in agriculture and contribute to increasing food security, and at the same time enjoy the benefits of running their own businesses.

The 2019 awards winners’ are to receive cash prizes of D35, 000.00 each plus a six-month mentorship.

GYIN Gambia to Hold 3rd Rural Youth Award in Wuli, URR

The Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN) Gambia chapter is to hold its 3rd Edition of the Rural Youth Award (RYA) in Wuli West, Upper River Region on 27^th April, 2019.

The award recognises and celebrates the achievements of rural youths in entrepreneurship and agribusiness. This year’s theme is “Discovering rural value chain by putting young people in agricultural value addition.”

The award provides financial support to deserving agribusiness players to not only grow their business, but serves as an encouragement for them and others to stay in agriculture and contribute to increasing food security, and at the same time enjoy the benefits of running their own businesses.

The 2019 award winners are to receive each a cash prize of D35, 000 plus a six-month mentorship.

NACCUG Trains 35 Mini Grant Shortlisted Applicants on Financial Literacy

Mr. Saikou Touray, YEP/NACCUG Mini Grants Office

The National Association of Cooperative Credit Union of the Gambia (NACCUG), last Saturday, 1st December, 2018, convened a Financial Literacy training programme for 35 shortlisted applicants of Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) mini grant scheme.

 Held at its head office in Bakau, the training was meant to build the participants’ capacities on Savings, Management and Basic Records Keeping for SMEs.

The YEP mini grant scheme application process and funds disbursement is under the purview of NACCUG.

Delivering the opening remarks on the occasion, the mini grant Officer, Saikou Touray dilated on the purpose of the gathering, stating that is a rare opportunity for the participants to be part of the training.

He also tasked them to make good use of training.

Also speaking, the NACCUG Financial and Admin Manager, Mr Patrick Mendy welcome all the participants to the training and advise them to make best use of the opportunity accorded them.

GYIN Gambia Chapter inks one year MoU with Kerr Fatou

Mamadou Edrisa Njie & Fatou Jallow signing the MoU

Churchill’s Town- 06^th September, 2018: As part of its efforts to intensify its visibility for a wider coverage, the Global Youth Innovation Network Gambia chapter (GYIN Gambia Chapter) on Monday, 3rd September 2018 signed a year-long Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kerr Fatou..

The MoU signing, which took place at the GYIN-Gambia Secretariat in Churchill’s Town at the Youth Entrepreneurship Plaza, seeks to create a collaborative partnership to reinforce both institutions’ objectives in complementing each other’s efforts in providing publicity to expose the good work and initiatives of young Gambian entrepreneurs’ on Kerr Fatou TV and other platforms.

Signing on behalf of GYIN Gambia, Mamadou Edrisa Njie, the GYIN Gambia chapter, Executive Director recalled that a recommendation was made by the Nema-Chosso Project Steering Committee (PSC) in 2017 in Jenoi, LRR that the youth network should be supported by Nema-Chosso and other agricultural projects in the country to profile the success stories of young entrepreneurs’ particularly those in the agricultural sector. 

GYIN Gambia ELIT 2017: Expanding Youth Development through Entrepreneurial Mentorship

Churchill’s Town, The Gambia – The Global Youth Innovation Network Gambia Chapter (GYIN Gambia) will hold its 2^nd Edition of the National Youth Summer Camp from July 23-August 1, 2017.

                             

This year’s Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Information and Technology (ELIT 2017) Summer Camp will allow young people to become rural mentors in their own regions as well as other regions in the country.

The 10-day event will hold under the theme –ELIT 2017: Expanding Youth Development through Entrepreneurial Mentorship. It is aimed at establishing a rural mentorship programme; sharing knowledge and experience on entrepreneurship, agribusiness and youth development issues; seeking business opportunities and networking; and to design a rural youth employment survey plan.

Activities will take the form of conferences, individual and group presentations, quizzes, comedy, culture; field visits to agricultural project sites (rice and poultry farms), markets; and case studies on youth mentorship programmes.

BRIDGES MADE DIFFERENCE IN LIVES OF WOMEN FARMERS

The aim of every intervention by the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project (Nema) is to reduce poverty of rural women and youth and increased incomes for the beneficiaries.

This is exactly what Nema is doing for the people of Jarumeh Koto Village, in the Central River Region North.

The Nema project is actually an up scaling of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) previous projects, particularly the Participatory Integrated Watershed Management Project (PIWAMP). 

Under the Nema project, substantial funds has been raised to co-finance the project in the country, of which IFAD contributed US$40 million, and in addition to that also, there has been a parallel co-financing agreement with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) at a tune of US$50 million. Added to the above figures, there is a parallel financial agreement with the IsDB that is supporting the Building Resilience against Food Insecurity in the Sahel (P2RS) project at a tune of US$20.8 million. The total portfolio of the project is US$76 million.

“The coming of this tidal irrigation and especially the construction of the bridge has transformed our lives for good,” Aja Nyima Sillah, leader of Nematulie Kafo, in Jarumeh Koto Village, told Mansa Banko Blog during an interview in Jarumeh Koto village.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE GAMBIA’S PRESIDENT BARROW ON HIS FIRST DAY IN OFFICE

Dear President Barrow,

 

Welcome. It’s your first day behind the desk and you have an enormous job on your hands.  Former President Yahya Jammeh has finally left the country after a tense stand-off; many of the people who fled in fear of violence last week are returning; businesses reopening; and the whole nation is preparing to listen to what your first moves will be. 

Your Excellency, I’d like you to take a moment to think about that. I’d like you to imagine a little girl standing alongside her parents in the crowd listening to you address the public.  This little girl’s future is now in your hands. 

For the past 22 years, her parents, like all of our citizens, have been forced into silence. They were unable to complain when they could not access basic services such as healthcare or education and saw their rights being derailed by a dictator.  If they did have the courage to speak out they may well have faced arrest, disappearance or torture. This silencing, this fear, this terrible way of operating must stop. Now. 

At Poultry for Prosperity launching, officials calls for ‘self-reliant’

The Poultry for Prosperity with the acronym P4P has officially been launched at the Department of Livestock Services in Abuko on the 8^th November, 2016.

The project is jointly funded by the Food and Agriculture Sector Development Project (FASDEP) under the Ministry of Agriculture and SAADIS Group Limited. The project will be implemented by the National Enterprise Development Initiative (NEDI).

FASDEP through its sub-component will provide 60 per cent funding for the establishment of 150 backyard poultry schemes for youth and women under the P4P, while SAADI Group Limited contributes 40 per cent.

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Landing B. Sanneh, general manager, NEDI said the project is intended to benefit 1000 young people across the country.