ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS WORKSHOP FOR GAMBIAN YOUTH

Participants

The U.S. Embassy Banjul, in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce, hosted a three-day entrepreneurship workshop in Fajara from 31 March to 2 April 2014 for 30 Gambian men and women under the age of 35. During the workshop, participants from the Young Entrepreneurs Association (YEA), Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Gambia Import and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA), and the American Chamber of Commerce received hands-on training on developing product ideas and business plans.

The workshop was conducted by Mr. Juan Casimiro, a Dominican-American businessman, who has conducted entrepreneurship and leadership workshops all over the world. Mr. Casimiro motivated the youth to become community leaders, small business owners, and to create jobs in The Gambia. He also shared his own motivational stories and best practices, which helped participants develop their own ideas for products, services, and business plans. The workshop bolstered the skills of the participants to become entrepreneurs and he gave them the added confidence needed to start their own businesses.