YEP MINI GRANT SCHEME 10 ENTREPRENEURS’ STORIES TO INSPIRE YOU

Kebba Tiyana Mam S. Danso Amet Faal

Isatou Jobe Dawda Kah Muhammed Bobb

Adama Bittaye Muhammed Sanneh Bubacarr Jaiteh

Masamba Ceesay 1 ebba Tiyana is a native of Tankong other two are female. He was able to maintain Kunda, Sami District, Central River the four staff in his farm after receiving the KRegion North and a young farmer Youth Empowerment Project (YEP project) aged 29. Mini Grant to the tune of D47, 000.00. Tiyana Mr. Tiyina is the founder said that the support and manager of Tiyana’s from the YEP Mini Grant Organic Farm Enterprise. “I am honored and Scheme enabled him to He is into vegetable happy to be one of fence his farm and this will production both in the dry the YEP Mini Grant help him to increase his and rainy season in his production this year. “This native village. awardees and my year- 2018 rainy season, During the dry season, Mr life has significantly I am expecting a bumper Tiyina cultivates pepper, harvest. I’m expecting onion and cabbage while improved for the D60, 000.00 from my in the rainy season; he reason that I have water melon, D35, 000.00 is into cassava, maize, benefitted from the from my cassava and D29, potatoes and water 000.00 from the potato,” melon production. Mini Grant.” he asserted. He earns a decent living Last year, he explained through farming thus supports himself and that he had a problem with his garden his family with some basic needs. because it was not fenced but with the Currently, Mr. Tiyana is working with four fencing of the garden, he is now able to young people of whom two are male and the control animals from invading the garden. 2 am S. Danso lives in Jarumeh back in the village after spending four (4) Koto village, Sami District, Central years in the Greater Area. MRiver Region North and she is a “I’m happily doing business in the village young lady aged 32 who is into tailoring and and I don’t admire my fellows in the designing of all classes of outfits. Greater Banjul Area simply because, I’m Ms. Danso is the owner making good profit in of Danso’s Tailoring and “I’m hopeful that one my business,” says Ms Creation. She opened her Danso. new tailoring and creation day, I’ll become one During the Muslim business in the village of the biggest young festivities (Tobaski and on 31st May, 2018 after Koriteh feast), she made receiving the YEP Mini entrepreneurs in my profits of more than D20, Grant Scheme support. region.” 000.00 after paying her Ms. Danso has employed staff and taking care of two boys who are all her other needs. Gambians and she is working with them “I can proudly say that, now I am excited since she established her business in her and my life has changed with the three (3) native village. tailoring machines, cupboard and chairs I “When I came across the Mini Grant got from the Mini Grant support. I am able to advertisement on the social media- open a new tailoring shop in my village and Facebook, I decided to apply. Today, I’m employ two Gambian youths,” she added.

3 met Faal is a young man who lives Narrating further, Mr. Faal stated that after in Kaur Touray Kunda. His is 35, and graduating from senior school, he was Aoperates a Consumer shop named unable to secure a job, and he decided to “Black Star Shop” in Kaur Wharf Town, travel to Mauritania in search of greener , Central River Region North. pasture. Mr. Faal, who is a graduate of Kaur Senior In Mauritania, “I learned how to become a Secondary School, was businessman and with able to create a job for “It came to a point the knowledge I gained himself after benefiting there, today it helps me from the YEP Mini Grant when I wanted to improve my business.” Scheme. close my shop and After receiving the mini “Before I received this become jobless, but grant support, he made support, I was seriously a profit of D10, 000.00 struggling to maintain my I was lucky to be which he invested into business because I didn’t rescued by the Mini farming. have enough goods to In this year’s rainy sell. My shop was empty Grant Scheme.” season, he is able to but with the Mini Grant have his own groundnut support, I purchased a lot of stock,” he said. farm and for the first time making good He lamented the lack of financial support profit from his business. He uses part of from his family to expand his business for that money to register his business, open a the past three years - thanking the YEP mini bank account and is supporting his family. grant for coming to his aid. 4 satou Jobe, a native of Farafenni, she has attracted a good number of North Bank Region (NBR), is also a customers in Farafenni. Iyoung lady aged 21, who is operating At her restaurant, she prepares breakfast, a restaurant dubbed lunch and dinner. The mini Joben’s Restaurant. grant support accorded her Ms. Jobe specializes in “With the support the opportunity to open her catering. She has vast of the Mini Grant, own restaurant in Farafenni experience in preparing and be able to employ three delicious fast food for my dreams have young ladies to assist in her customers. She come true. I am the business. Her business previously worked at – able to have my started in March 2018. McCaesar’s Restaurant According to her, the at West Field before own restaurant and entrepreneurship trainings being employed at the employed three she benefitted through famous Kairaba Beach Empretec ETW training Hotel in Senegambia (3) other girls on coupled with her experience area. fulltime.” has immensely helped in With her experience in effectively managing her cooking local dishes, own restaurant.

5 awda Kah is a young Having the YEP Mini Grant entrepreneur aged has boosted both his poultry “The chicken D33 who specializes and vegetables farming. manure has also in poultry production and “I received a support of gardening at Lamin village D47, 000 from the grant and boosted my garden in Kombo North. after selling my chicken, production and I’m The Dream Farm is his I made revenue of D57, expecting good own initiative to venture 000.00. Which I ploughed into poultry and vegetables back into the business by sales from my production when he was in buying more chickens and garden this season.” Aruba, Netherlands. seedlings for my garden,” He spent eleven (11) years he enthused. “The knowledge and in Netherlands working The chicken drops have experience I got on poultry and vegetable also saved him from buying outside- Europe, is gardening owned by his fertilizer. His garden is now host. He has been inspired an organic garden simply the success of my to start his own business because he does not apply business, coupled after learning that farming is any other fertilizer but only a profitable business. the drops from chickens with the support Mr. Kah decided to return to and his compost. of the Mini Grant to venture into Scheme.” farming as his profession.

6 uhammed Bobb is a ration because of the lack of young poultry farmer adequate feed.” “I was having Maged 30. He lives in According to him, his family a serious New Yundum. supported him with D20, Muhammed Bobb’s & Bros is 000.00 as a loan to buy feed problem a registered business which but that was not enough and feeding my started operations since 1st it got him frustrated. With November, 2015 with 200 the approval of his mini grant chickens layers. In December 2015, he application, he is now able but with the expanded his business with to take care of his poultry intervention of 200 broilers. production. The Mini Grant Owned and managed by provided him with 21 bags of the YEP Mini himself, Mr. Bobb said he feed of 50kg for his poultry Grant, I was applied for the YEP Mini Grant farm. to be supported with chicken Every day, he collects six saved. Without feeds. crates of egg and makes a this support, “When I was applying for the monthly savings of D3, 500.00 it would YEP Mini Grant, I was having after all overhead spending. problems with daily feeding of Today, he is in a position to have been a my chickens,” he explained, support his family with a bag catastrophe.” adding: “sometimes, I don’t of rice and sponsor his siblings even give them the proper with school materials.

7 dama Bittaye resides in Tujereng business due to financial difficulties. village, West Coast Region and is Madam Bittaye was indulging in door-to- Athe owner of A2 & Sons Enterprise. door business to support herself. She is 34. She is engaged in selling of According to her, the monitoring and site food condiments, cosmetics, baby cloths visits by the Mini Grant Officer has helped and materials as well as school learning her to perform very well in keeping proper materials. records. Starting her business with only D15, 000.00 with support from her family, Mrs Bittaye was “I’m very much able to open a small shop in her native village selling second hand clothes, detergents, appreciative with ladies wears etc. the support of the She expanded her shop after receiving the YEP Mini Grant and also employed a young Mini Grant. Since I lady on part time to assist her in running the received the upkeep, business. I am able to run and “With the expansion of my business, I’m now able to take care of my basic needs as well as manage my business support my family at home,” she explained. smoothly.” Before benefitting from the Mini Grant scheme, she was once hopeless in her

8 uhammed Sanneh is a young business generated some profit of over entrepreneur, aged 30, who lives D20, 000.00 between May and September Mat Pipeline in 2018. Municipality. Mr. During his early days, he Sanneh is the Manager “I wish to extend had some difficulties with of Sanneh’s Tailoring and gratitude to Allah electricity supply due to Fashion Design in Pipeline. (S.W.T) that with the sharing of NAWEC meter He underwent with his landlord. As part of apprenticeships for eight support of the YEP his registered successes, (8) years before starting Mini Grant I’m today he now owns a NAWEC his own business. my own manager meter to run his business. “I was doing With the Mini Grant apprenticeships for 8 working with four support, Mr. Sanneh years without any wages (4) young people of opened his tailoring because I wanted to learn shop and now employs the skills to become my whom two are male four young people on own manager,” he said. and two female.” fulltime. During festivities Sanneh’s Tailoring and especially Koriteh and Fashion Design was Tobaski, he adds extra two officially opened in May, 2018 after receiving youths on part time basis to assist them in YEP Mini Grant Scheme support disbursed the business as it is the peak period of the by NACCUG. Since its establishment, the tailors.

9 ubacarr Jaiteh aged 31, resides In April 2018, he received support from the at Old Jeshwang in the Kanifing YEP Mini Grant to expand his poultry. He BMunicipality. was supported with 300 broilers, 10 feeders Mr. Jaiteh is a young poultry farmer who and 14 (50kg) bags of feed. owns Sonaba Poultry Farm. He sold his chickens at the He was initially supported “Today, with the cost of D250.00 each and by his family - father and his targeted customers are mother - to start his own funding support the Mini and Super Markets poultry. of the YEP Mini within the Greater Banjul He established Sonaba Area. Poultry Farm in January Grant, I have In July 2018, after selling 2018 with only 75 broilers 600 layers and the 300 boilers, he but today, he accumulated expanded his business up to 400 broilers and 600 400 broilers. My again by adding 600 layers layers. business is now and constructing another Mr. Jaiteh, who was a poultry house. teacher at Anglo Arabic flourishing.” At Sonaba Poultry Farm, Academy in Latrikunda “I am presently working Sabiji in KMC, quitted the with two boys and one girl profession in 2017 to venture into poultry whom I’m paying monthly allowances.” farming. “I can say that I have created jobs for three He quitted teaching and took up poultry young people and I’m also paying myself farming as a profession in 2018 after from the business. Moreover, I give a lending realizing that poultry is a lucrative business. hand to my family,” he boosted.

10 “I have self-confidence in doing business as a young person which started when I received the CSEB brand new machine supported by the YEP Mini Grant Scheme.”

asamba Ceesay, a native of 19 East The CSEB business can create more jobs Street, Fajara M’ Section, is a young for young Gambians simply because it’s a Mentrepreneur aged 31. He specializes sustainable way of reducing dependency on in Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks making the use of cement, timber and coastal sand as (CSEB). materials in the construction industry. Mr. Ceesay is the Chief Executive Officer of The compressed soil block is a building material Mass Construction Services Enterprise, a made primarily from damp soil compressed at registered business operating in The Gambia. high pressure to form blocks and the business “I was opportune to learn the CSEB skills is a ‘promising’ one because the block last at a training programme from the 4th- 14th longer than the other blocks- cement and sand December, 2017 at Autryville Earth Institute, blocks. India which was fully funded by the Youth With the support of the YEP Mini Grant, he Empowerment Project (YEP) in partnership currently owns a CSEB brand new machine with Startup Incubator Gambia (SIG) for 15 but he is yet to start operations because of young Gambians,” he said. The ten (10) days the raining season. Normally, the business training availed me the opportunity to take up booms during the dry season. “Presently, I the business as a profession. have signed two contracts and they’ll all kick Prior to his traveling to India, Mr Ceesay was start either in October or November,” he said. working with a company in The Gambia called Mr Ceesay vowed to employ about 25 youths Earth Work Construction Company for four at each site when he commences operations’ years where he learned part of the practical for both contracts, as he is currently engage in skills. His traveling to India has served as marketing to attract more customers. catalyst in giving him more interest in the business.

11 ABOUT YEP MINI GRANTS SCHEME INTRODUCTION The YEP Mini Grants Scheme is now becoming a household name among the Small, Micro enterprises (SMES) in the micro economic settings of the Gambia. The Mini Grants Scheme is a component of the 11 million euros Project funded by European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. The YEP is intended to enhance the employment and employability of Gambia’s youth folk by providing trainings such as Entrepreneurship and Vocational as well as access to finance. The Mini Grants Scheme aims to bridge the access to finance gap by supporting youths with innovative business ideas to start-up their own business or upscale existing businesses. Access to finance has been identified as a major bottleneck facing youths in the Gambia. A maximum grant amount of GMD47, 000.00 is awarded to every successful applicant as may be required to facilitate the acquisition of equipment, materials, registration and other business inputs. The grant is disbursed strictly in kind and under exceptional cases in can be disbursed in cash. The YEP Mini Grant Scheme has indeed bridged the access to finance gap among many young Gambians with special desires/entrepreneurial/vocational spirit yearning to explore. The Grants provided so far has undoubtedly contributed to unlocking the potentials of many youngsters within the country who are now into a very prospective undertaking. CRITERIA FOR ACCESSING THE MINI GRANTS SCHEME a. Must be a Gambian youth (15-35 years) b. Must provide a viable business plan using the application form template c. Must have some level of savings or commit to making regular savings d. Must have received entrepreneurship/vocational training e. Business idea must be environmentally friendly f. Business must be registered before any disbursement is done

HOW TO APPLY Application forms are available online on the NACCUG, YEP and partner websites. You can find it here: www. naccug.com www.yep.gm/opportunity/mini-grant-scheme Forms should be filled electronically, printed, signed, scanned and sent by email to minigrantschemegambia@ gmail.com. Youth in CRR and NBR regions, where access to computer is a challenge, can pick up printed forms and submit their applications in the following offices:

• NACCUG Head Office in Kanifing • Credit Union Shared Branching Offices located in GTUCCU Regional Offices in Brikama, Soma, and Farafenni • FoniForms Kansala should Cooperative be completed Credit Union using (Bwiam) clear legible hand writing in capital letter.

• Sabunyima Cooperative Credit Union (Bansang) Forms should be completed using clear legible hand writing in capital letter. • SELECTION Fangdema PROCESS Cooperative Credit Union (Kerewan NBR) Forms should be completed using clear legible hand writing in capital letter. SELECTION 1 PROCESS 2 3 4 5 SELECTION PROCESS

1 2 3 4 5 Collection of Mini-­‐Grants Mini-­‐Grants Officer Approved NACCUG buys assets applications Committee meets and a committee grantees submit for grantees directly Collection of Mini-­‐Grants Mini-­‐Grants Officer Approved NACCUG buys assets submitted at local to review all member visits invoices for the from vendors applications Committee meets and a committee grantees submit for grantees directly submitted offices at and local applicationsto review and all member shortlisted visits invoices assets for the according from vendors to the

electronicallyoffices and preapplications-­‐approve and grants candidates shortlisted for assets invoices according submitted to the electronically pre-­‐approve grants candidates verification for invoices submitted ______verification ______For any enquiries, please contact: For Tel. any +220 enquiries, 99688502/9934792 please ; [email protected] contact: Tel. +220 99688502/9934792; [email protected]