The 13 proud Gambians are presented with their certificates: They have learned a lot during their one-week training on the basics of business and finances. The mood in the small room scattered with tables, posters and working materials is vibrant – thanks to their newly acquired knowledge, the participants, including returnees from Germany, are keen to start planning their career as a self-employed business owners.

The training held in Bakau in the Kanifing municipality was organised by the Deutsche Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation (DSIK) together with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH as part of the “Economic Inclusion of returnees and potential migrants in Ghana and The Gambia” project. The participants learned how to plan, set up and run their own business. They were taught about the challenges and opportunities of micro-enterprises, as well as concepts on bookkeeping, competition management and how to deal with smaller financial institutions. Here, four participants share their experiences.

Sainey K.: "I lacked management skills before"
Sainey K. joined the training to learn basic business management skills. "I already own two shops, one of them is a tailoring business. Now I also want to open a workshop to sell car accessories. So I am already a business founder, but I lacked management skills and capital. That’s why it's been slow going." Now Sainey K. is excited about his newly acquired knowledge. He is confident that he will be able to run his business successfully in the future.

Jully B.: "The new skills will always be helpful"
Jully B. attended the training with plenty of previous knowledge: she had already dealt with customer service and supply chain management. After the training, she wants to run a profitable clothing and accessories business. During the training, she learned the basics of business administration, among other things. "I am looking forward to the future and I am sure that it will work out with my self-employment," she says. "The skills I have acquired in this training will be helpful throughout my life."

Bubacarr D.: "The training has changed my life in a positive way"
Returnee Bubacarr D. used the training to learn about business operations, commodity procurement and financial management. His plan and long-held dream: to open a restaurant serving European and African cuisine. He has gained years of practical experience as a waiter in the restaurant business outside the country. With the theoretical knowledge from the training, Bubacarr D. can now make important business decisions and better prepare for his future journey, he says: "The training has changed my life positively."

Mustapha S.: "Now I am prepared for the business world"
Returnee Mustapha S. was especially interested in the training units on business management, especially financial management. "I knew that I needed training to acquire basic knowledge. This is the only way I can implement my idea. The training prepared me very well for the business world," he says. Mustapha S. dreams of opening a shop for building material supplies. He also plans to attend future training courses to further develop his business skills.

As of: 09/2021