By Olimatou Coker
Forty-five young fashion entrepreneurs have recently concluded a week-long training on fashion design at Gaye Njorro Skills Center in Brusubi.
The training was organised by International Trade Center (ICT) through Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) Andandorr and She Trades.
The training is designed to expose those upcoming fashion entrepreneurs to a career path, thereby giving them an opportunity to harness and exploit their talents.
Anna Wadda, a representative from the Ministry of Trade, She Trade Project in The Gambia, revealed that it took a while to get the right consultant to conduct the training.
She said when it comes to making The Gambia a fashion product, it is necessary to bring someone who can work with those starchiest to make sure fashion products from the country will be able to compete both nationally and internationally.
“We will do an evaluation of this training like what you have been doing going forward and also some of the gaps you experience in the training.”
Mamadou Diop Diallow, Director General of MO-STYLE expressed delight to be part of the training, saying he has conducted so much training but the difference he saw this time makes him happy.
He urged participants to make good use of the knowledge gained from the training to expand more on fashion and also train other people.
Raimund A. Moser, International Trade Center (ITC) representative in The Gambia, said they are very pleased to support such an initiative over the past four years, noting that they have been investing in International Trade Center and the Youth Empowerment Project in different areas.
“We have been looking at the designing aspects and its quality, partnership and also helping different stakeholders by organising themselves and also market linkages as all these different things need to come together if we want to be successful as an industry in The Gambia.”
“In the Gambia, we don’t have a problem with the market but the problem we have is product supply as internationally there is a higher demand of product but we should make sure we are stepping it up with quality and produce the right number of products on time”.
Rebecca Oli Jallow, a participant, thanked the organizers for the foresight in convening such an important training meant to equip them with the requisite skills in life.
