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 27th April, 2019.
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.
Gambian youths between the ages of 15 and 35 are
eligible to apply for 10 categories of the awards: Young Entrepreneur of the
Year 2019; Young Business Idea of the Year 2019; Young Emerging Business of the
Year 2019; Young Commercial Farmer of the Year 2019; Young Agribusiness of the
Year 2019; Young Agro-Tech of the Year 2019; Young Business Innovation of the
Year 2019; Young Business Partner of the Year 2019; Young Service Provider of
the Year 2019; and Best Packing Products and Labelling of the Year 2019.
Some 300 guests and patrons are expected to attend
this year’s award which will include a series of events, including an
Entrepreneurship Career Fair; Spotlight on Young
Entrepreneurs; and the GYIN Gambia Alumni Exchange Lunch to be held from 25th
April, 2019 at the Wuli and Sandu Development Agency (WASDA).
The #GYINGambiaRYA2019 is meant to create rural
enterprises, promote and elevate successful young entrepreneurs to adopt
innovative thinking and to channel their creativities, energies and passion to
solve existing problems in their communities, and are ready to serve as role
models for other rural youths.
The award is also intended to promote gender equality and inclusiveness, to
encourage more rural participation in the production, processing and marketing
of agro-products, to instil coaching and mentorship in young entrepreneurs, and
to encourage sound financial management practices.
As part of the GYIN
Gambia RYA 2019 initiative, ten rural youth enterprises are to be created; 25
rural youth are to be supported with business ideas/plans; a six-month mentorship
on enterprise management programme; incomes to be raised for 25 rural youth; regional
exchange visits for 10 award winners; and a training on livelihood skills for 25
rural youth.
GYIN Gambia Executive Director Mamadou Edrisa Njie
said rural youth are generally known to be low income earners, however,
recognition of successful youth in agribusiness and entrepreneurship could
serve as a model for the majority of others who are yet to enter into start-up
ventures and open up doors for access to finance.
“The results achieved by the rural youth award winners
in 2017 and 2018 have again given GYIN Gambia the confidence to organize the 3rd
Edition of the Rural Youth Awards,” Mr. Njie said. “The winners of the first
and second editions have now created jobs for themselves through their own
ventures while others have scaled up their businesses.”
The first and second editions of the RYA were
supported by the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development
Project (Nema), the Youth Empowerment
Project (YEP), and the National Youth Council (NYC).
For more info, contact:
Mamadou Edrisa Njie, GYIN Gambia Executive Director
Tel: 3938929
Modou S. Joof, GYIN Gambia Secretary General
Tel: 2122784
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