The Gambian branch of Global Youth Innovation Network popularly known as GYIN-Gambia and it partners, namely GIZ-International Services; National Research Institute (NARI); Department of Horticulture Service (of the Ministry of Agriculture); and ASPUNA Gambia Ltd. (industrial user of the cassava) have intensified their efforts towards addressing the surging unemployment rate among the young people of this country.
The commitment is being implemented through the introduction and implementation of Mass Agricultural Cassava Productivity Project, funded by the European Union (EU) under the Tekki Fii [Wollof words meaning to “Make It Here” in The Gambia] Project, for a period of one year.
The Cassava project is currently being implemented in Upper River Region (URR), Lower River Region (LRR), and Greater Banjul Area (GBA), targeting 600 young Cassava out-growers.
The Executive Director of GYIN Gambia-Chapter, Mr. Mamadou Edrisa Njie, delved into the training which entails sensitizing the young cassava growers on the formation of their respective cooperatives, and how to have a thorough understanding of the project.
He announced: “The one-year project aims to create more jobs and employability of the young people. It will also help to commercialize agriculture as well as help promote and popularize cassava production for both the young people and women beneficiaries.”
The GYIN Gambia top official expressed optimism that the project would enable the out-growers to be self-employed, earn decent livelihoods, thereby addressing the rate of unemployment among the young people in the country.
“ASPUNA Gambia Ltd, is the Industrial user that would buy the produce from the young growers,” he avowed.
Speaking at a training workshop in Fatoto, URR, Mr. Tom Senghor of the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) outlined that young growers would be trained on thematic areas of production such as the requisite cassava variety needed for the production, how to enhance the potentials of the cassava produce, to be able to penetrate the market and the significance of needed quality of the produce.
He pointed out that these areas are central in the production, and that without them, the cassava produce might not penetrate the market.
Ms. Susan Jatta, who represented GIZ International Services at the Fatoto event, urged the young out-growers to redouble their efforts so as to expedite the formulation of their various cooperatives. She is hopeful it would enable these young people to benefit from the project.
Jatta reminded them that the project also seeks to commercialize agriculture, such that the young growers would be engaged in a decent job and earning decent living.
The GIZ official, however, singled out finance as their primary challenge, reassuring if they have the adequate financial support, they would be able to extend the project to the other regions of the Gambia.
Ms. Jatta encouraged the young growers to take ownership of the project, stressing a “market is readily available” to purchase their cassava produce, and to earn decent income and maximize the production of cassava in the country.
Principal Agribusiness Officer at the Agribusiness Service Unit, Mr. Ousman Sanyang hailed the young Cassava growers for responding to their call, maintaining it has manifested the interest of the young growers in the production of cassava.
