By Sainabou Sambou
Isatou Bah, a graduate of Gaye Njorro Skills Academy, is a fashion designer who specialises in beads designing . She shared her story with The Gambia Daily. She explained that she has had love for beads since she was a little girl, to the extent she would steal her grandmother’s beads and needle to sew dolls, and eventually, her grandmother and her mom taught her how to make beaded necklaces, spider and beaded calabash. She recounted that one day, as she was on her way home from her uncle’s home, she came across a man making beaded shoes and keyholders at his shop, and out of curiosity, she approached him and told him that she wanted to learn how to make beaded shoes.
The following day, she bought a packet of beads and a pair of shoes and went with it to the man. ‘‘I worked there for months, but due to transportation constraints, I could not continue going there,’’ she said. This led to Ms. Bah’s journey of working from home by watching videos on YouTube on how to make ‘‘beaded things’’. While working from home, the young entrepreneur stated that she learnt that most of the beaded bags are imported in The Gambia, so she decided to make beaded bags for sale. Though she has a shop, Ms. Bah does online marketing on platforms such as TikTok and Facebook, and she said it has made her business grow.
She said the business has changed her life in many ways, affording her the opportunity to take care of herself and her family. Lamenting on the challenges she faces, Ms. Bah said her biggest challenge is financial constraint, adding that it has made it difficult for her to expand her business. She added that some of the materials that she uses for her business are imported into the country, making it difficult for her to access them. Part of her long term plans include going international, and also having different shops in The Gambia.
