The event which was held at the Independence Stadium in Bakau, was aimed at supporting a pilot project dubbed ‘Zero Waste Gambia’.
Organisers said the event was also envisaged to support and assist women business groups within the area. The trade fair, they added, attracted participants from 400 businesses across Africa and beyond.
The President of GWCC, Nafie Barry, reaffirmed their continued commitment in supporting businesses in the country, adding: “GWCC and GSCC will ensure that it provides market space, promotes and supports women and start-up businesses in the country, thereby connecting them with international trade enterprises.”
She added: “With our experience, we are committed to addressing the challenges faced by businesses in the country. We will provide them with a platform where they can learn from successful enterprises that have overcome obstacles,” she claims.
Through the intervention of Shelter for Life, she explained, 50 farmers and food processors, mostly from the North Bank Region (NBR), Lower River Region (LRR), Western Coast Region (WCR), and Kanifing Municipality (KM), have been given the chance to benefit from this opportunity.
The RICAR project, she continued, has also created 15 platforms for farmers in the Central River (CRR) and Upper River Regions (URR), while the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Employment (MoTIE), through the She Trade Hub facilitated the participation of 22 women entrepreneurs from various sectors.
In preparation for the trade fair, she said various training sessions were conducted for vendors, focusing on organic waste segregation among others.
“These training sessions were aimed to educate vendors on the importance of sustainable waste practices and provide the necessary knowledge and tools in order to effectively separate organic waste from other waste streams.”
Continuing further, she added: “This initiative seeks to minimize environmental impact and promote a greener and more responsible event, under the EU-funded project “Recirculating Zero Waste in the Country’s Food Supply Chain.”
Kumbale Goode, Board Chairperson of GSCC, spoke at length on the importance of the initiative, while expressing optimism that young people will grow successfully in the country and become successful business entrepreneurs.
She added: “Our mandate is to focus on addressing the needs of start-ups through business support services, access to finance and financial information, and custom-designed programs and also projects that cater not only for GSCC but also to the sub-region,” she stated.
Commenting on their vision and mission, she said, “is to promote access to regional markets, support start-ups and existing businesses in the country, and connect Gambian businesses with international trade enterprises along international trade corridors, which led to the birth of BITFAIR in partnership with GWCC.”
Concluding, she said, seven African Countries participated in the fair, while underscoring that would go a long way in complementing government’s efforts towards the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement and protocol
