Tekki Fii Grant for job creation, addressing funding gaps

By Mamadou Edrisa Njie

On 27th September, 2019, the National Association of Credit Unions of The Gambia (NACCUG) will host the launch of the Tekki Fii Grant as part of the Tekki Fii Programme at its head office in Bakau, according to an official invitation letter signed by NACCUG General Manager, Mr. Foday Sanyang on 11th September, 2019.

The launching is expected to gather senior government officials, project staff, youth beneficiaries and members of the media, among others.

The Grant includes the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) Mini-Grant, but also additional options with different conditions to agribusiness and solar sectors. The initiative is implemented by the Tekki Fii partners, namely International Trade Centre (ITC)-YEP, The Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr (IMVF) and the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zussammenarbeit (GIZ).

The YEP Mini Grant will be awarding fifty thousand dalasis (50,000) to young entrepreneurs’. The Tekki Fii Grant  funding looks at solar and agribusiness of which two hundred and fifty thousand dalasis (250,000.00) maximum funding to young Gambians ages 18-35 years, either individuals or associations whose applications are successful for the grant.

According to the letter, under the European Union’s Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), the programme action “Tekki-Fii” (a Wollof word meaning‘make it in The Gambia’) seeks to contribute to socioeconomic development and to nurture positive prospects for the Gambian youth, including returning and/or potential migrants by promoting attractive employment and income opportunities.

The programme supports the government in its attempt to nurture a perception shift for the Gambian population, moving away from a ‘future through migration’ to a ‘future in the Gambia’.

As gathered by this medium, the programme’s threefold objectives are to: Boost economic development with a focus on attractive employment and revenue generation in regions prone to migration; Promote a conducive socioeconomic environment for an effective and sustainable reintegration and to improve the attractiveness of rural areas and; Promote the concept ‘Tekki Fii” – Make it Here – Make it in the Gambia’.

The letter stated that the programme is funded by the European Union and is implemented by GIZ, IMVF from Portuguese Cooperation, the Belgian development agency Enabel, and the ITC.

The dispatch added that the action complements are built on the existing projects funded by the European Union in The Gambia of which ITC’s -YEP has already piloted a mini-grant scheme and that framework has proven to be a success in supporting young entrepreneurs to scale up their businesses.

Increasing demand for the scheme (for every 10 applications less than 3 are able to receive support due to a lack of funds) calls for a concerted effort to expand the scheme into a wider initiative under the Tekki Fii umbrella.

The IMVF project (T05-EUTF-SAH-GM-03-03) aims to reinforce agricultural value chains that can increase economic opportunities in rural areas. The project, it could be noted, supports the creation or development of sustainable market-oriented initiatives that attract rural youth to the agribusiness sector in the North Bank and Central River regions of The Gambia; and also increases revenues for women currently engaged in the sector.

The project adopts a value-chain approach, by embracing the continuum of production, processing and trade. It also supports business development, by promoting access to training and to business development services.

GIZ International Services is implementing a project targeting youths and/or youth-led micro-enterprises, aiming at increased employability in selected value chains and increased economic opportunities in selected high growth sectors. More specifically, in a bid to offer young Gambians and/or returning migrants concrete perspectives for socioeconomic re/integration and development, the project intervention envisages to couple technical skills training with business development support- the Project’s two main components.

As per the invitation letter, renewable energy solutions will be proposed to trainees and micro-enterprises as a means of securing innovative job opportunities and boosting productivity.

In addition, a special emphasis will be placed on gender, that is ensuring equal opportunities both for male and female youths throughout the project interventions, as stated in the letter.