Transcribed and collated by Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
The Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) has been under the spotlight for some time now. The question on everyone’s lips is how are the 11 Million Euros being spent? Will The Gambia be able to demonstrate sufficient grounds to access the additional sums of funding from the overall 75 Million Euros pledged to The Gambia?
Almost a year after the YEP was announced, Project Coordinator, Fatou M Jallow issued this statement during a meeting with youths explaining how they can apply for the mini-grant scheme. The video is available below.
“So we have launched the mini-grant yesterday the total sum is USD 250,000. It’s going to be in three phases. All you need to be is be a Gambian youth (15-35), have a business plan and we’re not talking about a massive business plan. It’s going to be a very simple format because we’ve learnt from what has happened before. And you submit that.
We’re working with NACCUG, NACCUG is the one that will be implementing this. And you can check the website or NACCUG or our partners. We have to date 23 partners including the NYC and through your youth structures, you’re able to access information from us, from NYC and all the other partners that we have. So this information will be on their website but you can also access the hard copies from YEP, from NACCUG. And we also using the NACCUG structure in terms of their different offices within the regions because we want everybody to be able to access that. Not only those who have access to the internet.
Once you get it, fill it, you can drop it at the NACCUG offices or via email to the NACCUG office. So really I encourage you to take this opportunity that you have and together with YEP and other partners we will have a better Gambia. But again please take this opportunity that the NewGambia is providing for Youth of The Gambia.”
- The mini-grant scheme is here to help Gambian Entrepreneurs and micro businesses
- Phased Approach: USD 50,000 (first phase), USD 100,000 (second phase) and USD 100,000 (third phase) – Total of USD 250,000
- Who can get the mini-grant? Gambians, aged 15 – 35, business-minded and ready to have a positive impact
- Application forms available at: YEP Portal (yep.gm) NACCUG Website (naccug.gm), and partner websites – Filled forms to be sent to NACCUG via email or hard copies
Below is a video which was published at the start of the EU YEP. It features the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Isatou Touray and the Executive Director of International Trade Centre, Arancha Gonzales. On an EU website, a news article was published to announce the EU funded Gambia Youth Empowerment Scheme. “On Thursday 9 February, the European Union, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Government of the Gambia have launched a new initiative to support job creation and entrepreneurship for Gambian youth. The Gambia Youth Empowerment Project is a four-year project that will benefit from €11 million from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa and will strengthen the long-term competitiveness and viability of the country’s economy.”