INSIDE GAMBIA

 

 

      By: Lenisa Gomez 22329009 Many successful businesses start with curiosity and a willingness to take small steps. Step with Leni, launched in June by young Gambian entrepreneur Lenisa Gomez, is a prime example. By identifying a demand for stylish, affordable shoes in her community, she turned a simple idea into a growing business. Spotting the Opportunity Lenisa began by sourcing quality shoes and reselling them to friends, family, and neighbors. Her focus on affordability, style, and convenience quickly attracted customers. Word of mouth and social media promotion helped expand her reach, turning a small reselling effort into a recognized local brand. Challenges and Growth As the business grew, managing inventory, meeting customer expectations, and keeping up with demand became challenges. Lenisa implemented practical solutions, including tracking stock, setting fair prices, and ensuring timely delivery. These adjustments helped establish trust with he...

 

 

   By:22319016 Eva has always known she was meant for beauty. Long before she began studying Travel and Tourism at WHI, she was that little girl who gathered her friends during playtime, turning their faces into canvases. With no formal training and no mentor guiding her hand, she let pure passion teach her. Each brushstroke came from the heart, and soon, makeup became more than a childhood hobby—it became a calling. As she grew older, Eva’s eye for beauty expanded beyond makeup. Her natural sense of style and love for fashion led her into the world of clothing and accessories. Instead of choosing between the two, she embraced both. To Eva, makeup and fashion were not separate industries—they were two languages she spoke fluently. Today, she proudly runs Eva’s Glam, a brand that blends flawless makeup artistry with trendy fashion pieces. But what truly sets her apart is not just her skill—it’s her belief in customer satisfaction. Eva treats every client like a fr...

  By: Isatou Saidy 22329007 Many successful businesses don’t begin with big plans or formal strategies. Sometimes, they start with something as simple as curiosity and that’s exactly how Isatou’s journey began. The Beginning: A Simple Fix At 15, Isatou wasn’t trying to become an entrepreneur. She only wanted to fix a small tear on her favourite skirt. The stitches weren’t perfect, but she enjoyed the process more than she expected. Soon, family members and neighbours began asking her for small sewing help, Before she realized it, she had become “the girl who can sew.” The Turning Point Everything changed when she attempted her first full outfit a beautiful boubou. She practiced for weeks, experimented with fabrics, and watched countless tutorials. When she finally wore it to school, she didn’t expect anything. By lunchtime, three people had asked, “Who made that for you?” When she proudly replied, “I did,” they encouraged her to start selling her designs. That weekend,...

By: Awa Susso #22229014 The rainy season in The Gambia has once again brought an abundance of fresh produce to markets across the Greater Banjul Area, with watermelons dominating stalls from Serrekunda to Bundung. While this year’s harvest has been largely impressive, vendors and farmers say the sector continues to face long-standing challenges from lack of government support to environmental concerns and declining fruit quality. Watermelon farming, mostly carried out in the country’s interior, has yielded a higher-than-expected output this year. Vendor and farmer Momodou Bah, speaking along Bundung, expressed gratitude for the improved harvest, noting that business has been brisk. “Despite watermelons being perishable, business is running smoothly, thank God,” he said. “We are making considerable profits every day.” However, the growing volume of produce has also created waste-management problems. Along many streets, rotten watermelons can often be seen dumped improperly...

 

OIC HIGHWAY   By Annette Anta Camara (22329017) The OIC Road Project, once heralded as a transformative leap for the Gambia’s infrastructure and economy, is now sparking anger and disillusionment among business owners along the Bertil Harding Highway, who say progress has come at the expense of their livelihoods. Stretching from Sting Corner to the Airport Junction, the 22-kilometer corridor expanded to dual carriageway standard was meant to ease congestion and beautify the city for the OIC summit. Instead, many traders say it has created an economic dead zone where thriving businesses once stood. Ebrima Jallow, a mechanic displaced from Bijilo, said the new road has crippled access. ’There are no proper exits; cars can’t pull over safely. People just drive past. We are losing money every day.’’   Traders complain that promised relocation sites remain incomplete or unaffordable.   Several have been forced to operate from temporary wooden kiosks far from their old cl...

    BY:  Annette Anta Camara -22329017   When Ina Njie first began experimenting with makeup tutorials on YouTube and Instagram, she never imagined that her hobby would one day fund her biggest dream of becoming a Bachelor of Science in nursing graduate. Today, she walks through the brightly lit corridors of the Gambia’s main teaching hospital, proudly wearing her white coat as a licensed nurse in the Pediatric Unit. But her journey from brush to stethoscope is one that speaks to the power of determination, self-reliance and entrepreneurship. A dream Fueled by Passion and Purpose Growing up in a modest home in Kanifing, Ina always dreamed of working in healthcare.   “I wanted to help children and give hope to families,” she says with a warm smile. However, the financial challenges of university life threatened to derail her ambitions. Rather than give up, Ina turned to what she knew best creativity. She began practicing makeup on her fiends and siblings ...

 

By: Baboucarr Sey - 22329024 Tourism continues to play a critical role in The Gambia’s economy, generating foreign exchange, creating jobs, and supporting small businesses across the country, government officials and industry experts say. According to the Gambia Tourism Board (GTB), the sector contributes 15–20% of the nation’s GDP, with over 400,000 international visitors recorded in 2023, primarily from Europe. Visitors’ spending benefits hotels, restaurants, craft markets, and tour operators, injecting vital income into both urban and rural communities. “Tourism is a lifeline for our economy,” said Ms. Fatou Sanyang of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. “It creates employment for thousands of Gambians, from hotel staff and guides to taxi drivers and artisans.” Hotels and resorts employ thousands of staff in different roles ranging from chefs and cleaners to tour coordinators. Local entrepreneurs, such as Alieu Jallow, who operates boat tours in Kotu, report that tourism sustains t...

  By: Baboucarr Sey - 22329024 When Gambian footballers make it to Europe’s top leagues or the Middle East’s lucrative competitions, the cheers that follow them are not just about goals and trophies. Behind every match lies an economic story, one about how their earnings and remittances are quietly transforming families, communities, and even the national economy. From Yankuba Minteh dazzling in the English Premier League to Musa Barrow’s multimillion-euro move to Saudi Arabia and Omar Colley’s consistent presence in Europe, Gambian players abroad are proving that football is more than a game; it is an economic engine. Rising Stars, Rising Fortunes In the space of a decade, The Gambia has gone from being a minor footballing nation to a respected exporter of talent. Young players like Yankuba Minteh, Ebrima Darboe, Alieu Fadera, Musa Barrow, and Omar Colley now represent a generation that is not only raising the national flag high but also bringing tangible financial gains home. Yan...