By Olimatou Coker
The European Union’s Youth Empowerment Programme (EU-YEP) for Tourism and Creative Industries has launched two groundbreaking initiatives to stimulate inclusive business growth and drive youth employment in the tourism and creative sectors.
The initiatives, Andandorr and the Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) Fund, aim to strengthen The Gambia’s tourism and creative industries by fostering inclusive growth, enhancing competitiveness, and expanding sustainable livelihoods.
The Andandorr initiative, meaning “partnership” in Wolof, is a collaborative effort to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in The Gambia’s priority sectors.
The initiative will provide tailored incubation, acceleration, market access, finance facilitation, and services to 1,500 MSMEs and entrepreneurs, with the first phase targeting 585 enterprises across priority sectors.
On the other hand, the SkYE Fund focuses on equipping young Gambians with technical and vocational skills aligned with employment and self-employment opportunities. The program will support 2,800 youth, with an average of 700 beneficiaries annually. In partnership with UNFPA, the Fund will also support 70 youth to undergo accredited training at TVET centers.
Yusupha Keita, IT Country Representative, said the initiatives aligned with the national priorities of The Gambia.
“Our commitment to MSMEs development and the empowerment of women and youth is stronger than ever,” he said.
Abdoulie Jobe, Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture said: “These initiatives represent a bold step forward in our collective mission to empower Gambian youth and women, and to build a more inclusive, dynamic, and competitive tourism and creative industries sector.” Immaculada Roca I Cortes, EU Ambassador to The Gambia reiterated that the European Union is proud to walk this journey with The Gambia to build a vibrant tourism and creative economy.
The initiatives are expected to have a significant impact on The Gambia’s economy and youth employment. By providing skills training and support to MSMEs, the initiatives will help to support MSMEs and entrepreneurs and promote inclusive growth and reduce poverty.
