ITTOG launches 2nd phase of “no woman is left behind culinary art skills & entrepreneurship program”
In partnership with AETHNIC of Barcelona, Spain, the Institute of Travel and Tourism of the Gambia (ITTOG) on Friday launched its second phase training of “no woman left behind culinary Art skills and entrepreneurship training (CASET) program.
The project is aimed to train Gambian women in a situation of special vulnerability with the right skills and as entrepreneurs to facilitate the creation of small business managed by themselves.The launching ceremony held at the African Institute Complex in Kololi, converged various women from different backgrounds.
In his remarks, the board chairman of ITTOG, MrAdama Bah said the project will mentor the women involved, most of whom have received training and qualifications at ITTOG in the production of local gastronomic products for the responsible tourism market.
He stated that the project empowers women as entrepreneurs, in the exercise of managerial functions and contributes to reducing the existing gender inequality in this area. That ITTOG manages the project as part of its access Business Centre Program.
Mrs.FatouKinteh, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare stated that she is optimistic that the launch of the phase II would be achieved in translating its core course skills of problem solving, team skills, communication skills, entrepreneurship and self-management into appropriate strategies for the economic empowerment of women.
She further stated that in the National Development Plan (2018-2021) and its successor green recovery-focused National Development Plan (2023-2027) is one of the seven critical enablers of a progressive Gambian economy.
She advanced that her Ministry seeks to mainstream gender in all sectorial policies and programs to effectively increase women’s participation in project implementation, community representation and decision-making bodies throughout the country. She added that such profile initiatives in the Gambia are already serving as a platform for other countries to emulate.
In her remarks, Victoria Garcid, the project coordinator of association AETHNIC focalizing on responsible and sustainable tourism in Barcelona Spain, she revealed that she has been previously in other developing countries such as Angola, adding that the knowledge of each country, one needs to go into the country to tap that knowledge.
She said that the association AETHNIC is a small NGO in terms of volume, butbig in its dreams which are been shared with ITTOG which she said is special for them and makes it so easy to work with.
She said that her association shares the same values and approaches on how to do development and how effect a sustainable and responsible tourism.
