By Yero S. Bah
A senior official of United Project Coordination Team (UPCoT), the Gambia-an establishment that helps individuals and NGOs on their projects implementation-Mr. Cherno Jallow, has observed that some Gambians could have fantastic ideas but they lacked the technical, administrative or logistical know-how in putting their ideas into practice.
He further argued that: “Gambians are talented, but lack the require aid or conducive environment to excel in the country. We must start from somewhere to help.”
Entrepreneurship comes in different forms and innovations and of recent, more and more young Gambians are making their marks in this sector, using the opportunities availed by technology to engender their respective enterprises.
Mr. Jallow is a young Gambian spearheading a project called UPCoT, which helps Gambians to run their companies or individual businesses effectively, through administrative and logistical support for free, but he hinted that in the long-run, he hopes to charge for services provided.
While pointing out that he always help people with bright ideas, Jallow, however held that they (people) need the soft skills and technical abilities to translate their ideas into reality. He helps people to write tenders, registration or legalization and formalization processes, logistics and administrative issues.
In his explanations, the project had been able to mobilize many people with different expertise to render free services to individual Gambians with businesses or organizations but who are handicapped in both administrative and logistical knowledge.
Jallow again, “We help these people running their administrative and logistical errands for free.”
The project, he told Mansa Banko Online, comes to support people who might want to register their companies or organizations but don’t know the procedures and the documents involved in registering a company or organization. He added that they even help people to write or prepare project proposals, procurements, tenders or administrative guidance to individuals, CEOs or directors who may lack some of the technical skills needed for such portfolios, all at no cost to them.
The second year Bachelor of Arts (BA) student at the University of The Gambia (UTG) further said his vision is to house as many companies as possible to run their administrative errands in the future, as he works with many colleagues who share similar visions and are experts in various fields in the country.
Jallow explained also that there are some leaders or proprietors of certain companies or organizations who have targets, but they don’t know how to instruct their employees in meeting those set-targets. He echoed, “We offer support to such institutional leaders.”
The entrepreneur runs a three-month internship program for youngsters at his “Print Shop” at Westfield adjacent to Gambia Red Cross headquarters; whilst employing several others.
Jallow is currently the Assistant Procurement Officer at the National Aids Secretariat (NAS) office.
