Tekki-Fii Partners Beneficiaries’ Tell Benefactors Impressive Testimonies
Various beneficiaries of theTekki-Fii and implementing partners from North Bank Region, Central River Region, Upper River Region, and Lower River Region have recently convened a roundtable to disclose their gratitude to the benefactors for positivelyimpacting their lives and to know their recommendations for the sustainability of the program.
The meeting was also aimed to discuss with the Tekki-Fiibeneficiaries on the three-year program which was launched in 2019 as the program faces out in December, prior to its launched in 2019 by The Gambia Government sponsored by the EU and Implemented by the implementers, such as ITC, IMVF, YEP and ENABLE to educate and skill young people in the country to be creative and create employment for other Youths.
The benefits included stills, poultry farming, community gardens supported, and Entrepreneurship One-Stop Shop (including new lumo).
Speaking at the event Mr. MuhammedSuwareh, a beneficiary expressed gratitude to the Tekki-Fii and partners for their support to their young people in their regions in terms of structural support and individual support.
“We equally manifested as far as this region is concerned. Tekki-Fii and its partners have been supporting the community for the last three years. Now that the program is facing out, we are a real concern as a region and undoubtedly, we will not do justice if we don’t acknowledge your support.
Although, we do not meet our target because looking at the number of people in this region compared to the number of people supported, there is a big gap in it. But we did not expect the project to do all, to cover all of us, but we are only hopeful that the government will continue from where the Tekki-Fii program stops,” he said.
Alfu M. Sarr, a beneficiary said the Tekki-Fii program in Kerewan, NBR gave the GYCC much more recognition and helped build the capacity of staff in the project management and implementation.
MuhammedCeesay from Basse also a beneficiary said the Tekki-Fii is one of the best youth programs in the Gambia, adding that the program encouraged and challenged Youths to learn skills to do business and make it in the Gambia.
MuhammedCeesay received a mini-grant from the Tekki-Fii program in 2019 which he used to establish prospectively, and digital businesses that digital accessory needs to customers.
One Mariama from URR thanked the Implementers and said “I would like to thank Tekki-Fii as an entrepreneur, I was lucky to have the mini gram. Through that, I was able to open a restaurant and employ six people”.
She explained her struggles in her business before Tekki-Fii came to her rescue. “I was struggling too much with my business but now it has grown bigger,” she said.
AlieuKebbeh, a beneficiary, also explained how she commenced his poultry farming with 50 bird chicks in his backyard, adding that after benefiting from mini-gram expanded his poultry farm to 200 birds.
“I underwent some of their entrepreneurship training which expanded my understanding of business. So I started networking and building partnerships now I have up to 5,000 birds from North bank to URR.
Transportation was my problem but now I have a vehicle to supply birds. Before the Tekki-fii, I was using a bicycle and motorcycle, thanks to the Tekki-fii, now I have a vehicle to supply even in the Kombos. I have four employees and I wish there could be more support for other potential entrepreneurs to benefit from it,” he concluded.
