By Mariatou Ngum
The Directorate of Employment under the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MoTIE) recently handed over three state-of-the-art sewing machines to Mr. Lamin Camara, a young Gambian entrepreneur from Jarra Jennoi.
The three sewing machines, worth D100, 000 were procured by MOTIE under the Private Sector Development Project funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The UNDP through its 2017-2021 Country Programme Document (CDP) seeks to support the Government of The Gambia in its drive to attain sustainable economic development. This support targets entrepreneurship and private sector development with an overarching aim of inclusive growth, employment creation and poverty reduction with the ultimate objective of closing the inequality gaps in the poorest region of The Gambia.
The project is in line with the development blueprints of The Gambia such as the Vision 2018-2022, the National Development Plan, the Private Sector Development Strategy and the SDGs of the UN. The Programme intends to build on the success of Songhai Initiatives and the EMPRETEC by supporting the private sector development through three outcome areas: Support the creation of an enabling environment for private sector development by supporting greater dialogue, especially with regard to employment, livelihood creation and entrepreneurship; develop the capacity of the local entrepreneurs and enterprises for better productivity and competitiveness.
The project will also build on the developments of existing interventions like EMPRETEC and Songhai Initiative; and support greater dialogue and sharing of knowledge and information between and the public, private sectors and CSOs including women and youth groups as well as linkages with the finance and the export sector.
Principal Labour Economist at MoTIE, Mr. Basiru Secka, affirmed that the Ministry through the Entrepreneurship and Private Sector Development Project supports both the private sector and young entrepreneurs to expand their businesses to be able to provide employment for other young people.
“Today, the ministry provided Mr. Lamin Camara with three sewing machines to expand his business and also provide employment for other youth”. Mr.Secka posited.
He added that, in this project, young people were also trained on marketable skills so that at the end of the training these young people can be self-employed.
In receiving the machines from MoTIE, Mr.Ceesay expressed optimism to expand his business and provide employment for other Gambian youth.
“My business is registered and I am saving money to be able to expand and employ more youths,” he noted.
He further used the opportunity to urge his fellow youth to desist from irregular migration and stay home in order to develop the country.
He further thanked the Government of The Gambia through MoTIE; and the UNDP for the support..
