The Blog

As a beneficiary of the Youth Empowerment Project Andandorr programme, Modou has developed skills to support the management and growth of his business. When reflecting on his Andandorr journey, he said “through this programme, I have learnt better ways to manage my business and maintain a standard record of my earnings.

More than a sport, football is a way of life. A medium of connection, hope and more than all, a medium of joy. Discovering the essence of this means an evening stroll in the streets of The Gambia. From young boys playing their hearts away, experimenting with skills they have just seen on television with joy and laughter, to young people in their gatherings arguing over the different tournaments, defending the honour of their teams and favourite player on the pitch. This is equally discovered in the video clubs, where people that share similar teams unite and pick on their opponents. The laughter, joy, and losses coming in a full circle make it all worth it for millions of people worldwide.

“The YEP digitalisation has benefited my business in several ways, the greatest of which is that I now have an online store for my products. Customers can now easily see my inventory as well as the prices for each item which has greatly enhanced my customers' shopping experience. We can also see the different countries our store visitors are coming from, which has also helped in running targeted advertisements. The program has also increased public awareness of our brand”

In 2006, at 15years, Fatou Lowe had to drop out of school at just grade 9 due to her father’s sudden sickness which worsened their financial struggles. Inspired by the care and love for her family, Fatou made a decision to join a tailoring shop in her area to learn sewing to support their upkeep.

‘’ Few months ago, we did not see coming together with the women of Kubandar due to some problems between the two communities. This training has brought us together and here we are learning skills, spending almost the whole day together and eating from the same bowl of food’’. This were the exact words of Fatou Jallow, President of Maka Farafenni Women Association.

The Peacebuilding Fund Project, “Climate Conflict: Strengthening community coping mechanisms against risks of climate-induced conflicts and to minimize gender-related vulnerabilities and tensions in The Gambia,” aims to mitigate an...

We are a product of our environment. The people we live with, our surroundings and especially the facilities and institutions that shape and propel our development and growth. These elements unconsciously shape our dreams, goals and to the larger extent the path we take to become everything we want to be. For Isatou K. Jallow, a young poultry farmer in Basse Santa Su, It was the Veterinary Clinic right opposite her house. Beyond just a clinic and a place to learn about animals, their health and care, the veterinary clinic was the home to Isatou’s dreams and aspirations.

Jainabu, who just turned eighteen, looked around her with deep emotions and profoundly expressed what a game-changer this opportunity is to her and other young girls in the community. At her age, she expressed, a lot of her mates are already married off and caring for their offsprings. She said, “this opportunity gives me a strong foundation in life. It gives me skills that will ensure nobody takes advantage of me because of my lack and gender”.

For Lucy, she is moved by the message and the story behind every tailored jacket. With every woven African print on a jacket, she wants her clients to feel empowered, beautiful and remember their roots. She wants them to stand tall, be bold and fall in love with the beauty embedded in their skin and culture.

“Our daily experience in this community as farmers cannot be expressed in words. During the rainy seasons, our lives are altered due to climate hazards and our agricultural produce is greatly affected…” These were the words of Kebba Tob, the Alkalo of Basik