By Alhagie Babou Jallow
The belief of having greener pasture in Europe is still in the minds of some Gambian youths. However, efforts are being made to change their mindset by providing opportunities that can make them productive youth in other to contribute to national development in the country.
Among the committed organizations in the country that have been making unflinching effort is the Tikifi project, under the Youth Empowerment Program, YEP. ‘’Tekki fi’’ is a 3 years programme that targets youth from 15 to 35 especially the unemployed youths
YEP trains and raises awareness on how to make a good living in the country.
Abdoulie Jaiteh, a staff at the communication unit at YEP explained the background information about the project- its aim and success stories of return and reintegration
He said the Tikki Fi programme aims to improve economic development and future prospects for Gambian youth by promoting attractive employment and income opportunities.
‘’Tekki fi is a movement by Gambians for Gambians. It is about helping young people in the country to see the benefits of choosing to ‘Make it at Home’,’’ he explained.
Adoulie Njai, the owner and founder of Jabana Enterprise said prior to setting up his business, he used to work for an insurance company and he used to save from the petty contracts he gets.
‘’In 2016, I benefited from the YEP mini grant which helped me to set up my company’’, he said.
Mr. Njie’s company specialises in electronic installations and sales of electronic equipment and he has employed three young people while two are under training.
Modou Kortah, who owns a barber shop, said he started his business with a comb and a blade while he was going to junior school.
“My barbing shop has expanded over the years and through the YEP support, my customer base has increased, owing to the allocation of a stall funded by YEP at the Trade Fair International,’’ Kortah exposited.
Jagleh cosmetics and salon is a business owned by Begay Njie in Kaur. She explained that she used to go around Kaur and its surrounding communities selling cosmetic products, but later decided to apply for the YEP Mini Grant and built her own salon.
