Nefertiti Drammeh, a photo model and a fashion icon who lives and works in Hollywood, California is presenting in the Gambia on a visit as part of efforts to assist and to collaborate with Gambian women through her micro credit project which seeks to help single mothers and women to start their own business and to be self supporting.
 
Nefertiti is a daughter of the music producer OKo Drammeh.  She is a double citizen of the Gambia and the Netherlands. In America she has performed many TV commercials, music videos, movie thrillers and fashion shows with various people including the music group Black Street, Usher, Wu Tang Clan. She also did a show with Janice Dickersons who is the judge of America top model TV show featuring Tyra Banks. She is represented by Lynn Allen Jeter Enterprise who represents top Hollywood artists and models.

Nefertiti is the award winner of the 2007 business project prize of the ABN AMRO bank of the Netherlands, one of the biggest banks in Europe, in which her project was micro credit in Africa and the Gambia was the focal point.  Last Wednesday, Nefertiti accompanied by his father OKo Drammeh paid a courtesy call on the Point during which she held a short interview with the Point’s entertainment supremo.  Please read on:

As a Hollywood star many people will be surprised to see you here in The Gambia. Is this your first time of visiting the country?

Nefertiti: No. As a baby I used to live here  with my mother and father;   every summer we do  come  here on vocation and when  I was 14 my father sent me to the Gambia to leant about my history  culture, root and the way of living in The Gambia.

When did you start modelling?

I stated modelling at the age of 14 years and now I’m into modelling on international basis in the cities of Paris, Frankfurt   Amsterdam, London Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vagas.

How did modelling help you to get the inspiration to set up your new company?

Nefertiti: Because I have travelled around the world and have seen the different way of living and I have seen certain things that greatly touched me. Now I want to use my knowledge and time to develop the livelihood of women in the developing world with the Gambia being my focal point.  Having been there ready on top, I have done most of the luxuries of life.  I feel that it is about time that I try to use my experience and resources to give back to the communities I belonged.   I prefer to help people than to follow the success story of galmour and glitz.

Can you tell us more   about your micro credit company?

My company is called Woman Art 4 Woman.  It is a micro credit project   registered in Holland and I’m planning to register it in the Gambia. My first plan of action is to introduce certain Gambian products, which are made by local people and some percentage of the proceeds gathered will be ploughed back to help women in this country, a contribution, which I  believe, will educate many women about sustainable livelihoods and to help the Gambia government in its projects on poverty reduction.

Are you optimistic that your dream of helping Gambian women will come to past?

I have travelled throughout the Gambia visiting some projects both government and community projects so that I can have a good idea of my role and contribution towards the Gambia people which I’m part of. My mission is to help accelerate development and to attract more companies and famous people to the Gambia because Art 4 Women   is an going project for sustainable development in the Gambia.

As a Hollywood star, what do you intend to do for local artists?

Nefertiti: Of course, been in the fashion and entertainment industry I would in the future collaborate with designers and modelling agencies through the new media about the basic support system that they may require, the norms and standards of presenting models in the outside world and also through educating the models and career management and most probably recommend some agencies and some shows were they can display their talents.

Thanks for granting us this interview.

Nefertiti: The pleasure is all mine.