For many young Gambians, getting a leg up in the business sector is a problem. The chief constraint that they face is the issue of finance. Another is proper training to be effective competitors in their field of operation.

This is where institutions like the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS) come in. The NYSS, which was set up in 1996 to develop and enhance the potentials of young Gambians, not only trains youths but also provides promising ex-corps members with the requisite capital to kick-start their business ventures. According to Marchel Mendy, public relations officer of the Scheme, the main purpose of the Scheme is to ensure that Gambian youths are given the opportunity to access training in different disciplines. “The NYSS enables Gambians to acquire training in such fields as mechanics, electrical installion, painting and decoration, construction, tailoring, hair dressing and the like,” he explained.

Ndey Astou Camara is 27-year-old Gambian who hails from Farafenni. She did most of her early education in her hometown before coming to the Greater Banjul Area in 1998 to join the NYSS. At the NYSS (where she spent two years), Ndey studied sewing. Her interest in tailoring had started in while she was still in Farafenni, where she used to dabble in the field.

She explained that she decided on this career because she enjoyed the work and “if you have skills, you never suffer, as you can always find work”. The young NYSS graduate now has her own shop in Manjai Kunda, where she resides. She currently has two employees – a simple tailor and a designer. This was made possible through a loan given to her by the NYSS after she had completed her training. It helped her to not only rent a place in a good location but to buy the necessary equipment and hire the additional staff needed.

Hers is a success story which is not an isolated one. Many others, who might otherwise have been social liabilities, have also benefitted from the Scheme to become responsible and productive members of society who are helping to build and move The Gambia’s economy forward.