Jalika Keita is a young farmer from Niamina Dankunku, of Central River Region in The Gambia. She is engaged in agribusiness. Jalika started her business after having been given a huge plot of land from her father immediately after completing her university degree in Biology.
Jalika always thought of being her own boss. The journey to turn this into reality has not been an easy one but she felt agriculture was the only way to make that dream happen.
Shortly after graduation, she started her own garden of 2 hectares where she planted 120 cashew trees. Now she intends to expand into vegetable production and other fruit trees.
“I believe it is my responsibility to take part in the agricultural value chain to provide healthy and fresh vegetables to the market and empower the youths and women of my community in sustainable development through job creation.”
Jalika Keita is one of the first youths benefitting from the Tekki-Fii Agro-Grants.
“You might feel you don’t have enough but if you have just one thing with you, you are rich. All you need is faith in yourself and confidence in your abilities. Success is guaranteed, right here in our own country, The Gambia.”
Funded by the European Union, the Tekki-Fii Grants aim to facilitate the in-kind acquisition of equipment, materials, licences and other critical inputs and assets for the creation of new businesses, promotion of start-ups and expansion of established small-scale businesses led by Gambian youth.
The “Make it in The Gambia – Tekki Fii” is a 3-year programme that aims to improve economic development and future prospects for The Gambia’s youth, including returning and/or potential migrants by promoting attractive employment and income opportunities, and to support the Government in its attempt to nurture perception shift for the Gambian population moving away from a ‘future through migration’ to a ‘future in The New Gambia’.
The Building a Future: Make it in The Gambia project is funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund and is implemented by GIZ International Services, Enabel, International Trade Center and IMVF with the institutional support of Portuguese Cooperation, ADWAC, Alianza por la Solidaridad and United Purpose.
