Empretec
Gambia, a flagship programme of the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion
Agency (GIEPA), has sponsored 30 stalls at the ongoing trade fair at the
Independence Stadium in Bakau.
The
stalls are sponsored for Empretec-trained entrepreneurs involved in a wide
range of entrepreneurship activities including food processing, fashion,
agriculture and beverages.
Empretec
has trained 100s of small and medium-size enterprises on ways to grow and
expand their businesses.
Sadibou
Jammeh, communications manager at GIEPA, said the trade fair is not only making
a lot of changes to the Empretec-trained exhibitors, but also providing them
with lots of opportunities to network with other businesses that come to the
fair.
According
to him, the essence of the trade fair is for the entrepreneurs to grow their
businesses by networking with different individuals and to interact with one
another.
He
said the expectation is that at the end of the two-week exhibition, the
Empretec participants would make a lot of networks that would lead to the
growth and development of their businesses.
Mr
Jammeh said the Empretect training had “rapidly changed” the mindsets of many
people towards entrepreneurship.
A
beneficiary of the Empretec trade fair package, Adam Touray-Bah, CEO of SASS
Cosmetology and Skills Academy, expressed gratitude for the opportunity given
to her by Empretec to showcase the products and services offered at her
enterprise.
She
said: “A lot of people have known SASS to be a store that sells cosmetics but
the trade fair has given us the opportunity to demonstrate our work and to show
the public what SASS Skills Academy is all about.”
Rose
Fatou Manga, CEO of Rose Afric, who is also exhibiting courtesy of Empretec,
said her business is engaged in recycling old bags and shoes.
She
said the rationale for the business is to promote African fabrics by recycling
the old things into African wax.
She
expressed gratitude to Empretec for making her exhibition at the trade fair
possible.
“I,
personally, could not have afforded the money to pay for the stall here but
they sponsored us here and we are really making use of the opportunity,” she
said.
Jainaba
Tamba, a food processor, commended Empretec for giving her the opportunity to
showcase her products at the trade fair.
