Africa-Press – Gambia. The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources (MECCNAR), through the Rural Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Building Project (RICAR), in collaboration with the Gambia Startup Chamber of Commerce (GSCC), hosted a three-day private sector engagement forum on rural entrepreneurship. The event, held at Ocean Bay in Bakau, focused on “Leveraging Private Sector Involvement for Resilient Rural Entrepreneurship Grantees.”
The forum provided a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration to enhance the efforts of project beneficiaries in promoting economic growth.
At the opening, Permanent Secretary of MECCNAR Ebrima Jawara described the gathering as a milestone for the RICAR project, highlighting the government’s commitment to fostering a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable economic future amid escalating climate challenges.
“Today’s convergence represents a shift beyond direct support, aiming to catalyze systemic change by creating pathways for self-reliance, economic diversification, and private sector-led resilience. Our young entrepreneurs are central to this transformative agenda,” he said.
GSCC representative Baboucarr Kebbeh noted that the Chamber currently has 256 registered members across the country, who oversee operations at the regional level. He explained that, in partnership with MECCNAR, the RICAR project launched the Resilient Rural Entrepreneurship Award to promote adaptive and diversified livelihood strategies among rural youth.
He outlined GSCC’s mandate, which includes advocacy, business support services, access to finance, and implementation of projects addressing key startup needs in the Gambia. “We work closely with government ministries, agencies, and partners to promote trade, industry, and entrepreneurship, and participate in policy and legislative decisions benefiting startups and MSMEs,” Kebbeh said.
The award programme, he added, incentivizes innovative and climate-resilient business ideas, encouraging youth to create small enterprises that maintain stable income sources even under unfavorable climate conditions.
RICAR Project Coordinator Aji Oulaye Njie said the project was designed to enhance the adaptive capacity of rural communities, emphasizing that genuine resilience requires both economic and knowledge empowerment.
“Our journey began by identifying community change agents, primarily young women and youth from CRR and URR, who demonstrated commitment to local resilience. They underwent intensive capacity building and volunteered in delivering essential project services, including social and behavioral change initiatives,” she said.
Njie explained that the Rural Resilience Entrepreneurship Award was created to recognize and incentivize these volunteers. “The transition was merit-based, and the change agents completed a rigorous and competitive selection process.”
She acknowledged the support of MECCNAR in establishing the multi-stakeholder Rural Resilience Award Committee that oversees the initiative.
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