The grant was made possible through its ‘Addressing the Drivers and Causes of Migration Related Vulnerabilities along the TransGambia Transport Corridor’ joint programme. The grant will allow the recipients to expand their operations and create more jobs.
The programme is funded by the United Nations Migration Multi Partner Trust Fund.
The ceremony also marked ITC’s efforts to enhance cross border trade environment and improve management of trade and migration issues in an effective and safe manner.
The day also witnessed the awarding of packaging support to women who participated in the Youth and Women Trade Fair held last November to complement their work.
Yassin Gai, project manager for the Migration Multi Partner Trust Fund, described the day as a significant occasion. She added that the initiative was meant to reaffirm their commitment to fostering an inclusive and sustainable economy, noting that the grant represents a crucial investment for women capabilities to expand their ventures and improve their productivity as well as enhance the quality of the services they provide along the TransGambia corridor.
Sibgha Ajaz, programme coordinator for Migration Management at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), congratulated the beneficiaries and also thanked the Grant Committee for their objectiveness.
She expressed hope that the grant would represent beneficiaries’ aspirations, dreams and endeavours. With the support, she added, the beneficiaries would be able to contribute towards not just their growth and that of their families but also those around them.
“We strongly believe that by investing in our female traders we are not only transforming individual lives, but catalysing positive change within all of our societies,” she stated.
Musa Sawaneh, a representative of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, expressed appreciation for the partnership and close collaboration with ITC and IOM.
He also expressed optimism that the grant would enhance the landscape of the economic activities of the country, noting that the grant can yield benefits that can significantly boost the ongoing efforts in supporting trade activities.
Naffie Barry, president of the Gambia Women Chamber of Commerce (GWCC), explained that 30 women small-scale cross border traders successfully completed a pilot entrepreneurship programme over a three month period and following its conclusion, 80 percent of them formally registered their businesses.
She announced that the grants for the 24 beneficiaries ranges from D60,000 to D150,000. She urged beneficiaries to use the money wisely and strategically so that when partners could support them in future.
they would find them at one level and elevate them to another.
Meanwhile, over the past years, ITC has supported the growth of the women cross border traders by training them in entrepreneurship, trade rules and procedures. They also learned digital and financial skills, received coaching and gained better access to markets.
