By Yunus S Saliu
The National Center for Arts and Culture (NCAC) with support from the Gambia National Commission for UNESCO Tuesday present some cash amount to the five winners of the small creative business enterprise business plan project winners. The presentation of the cash amount to the five winners took place at the NCAC office, Banjul and witnessed by officials of the Gambia National Commission for UNESCO.
The five winners of the business plan project are Kebba Forster, Fatou Fatty, Ya Awa Conateh, Micheal Hamadi Secka, and Isatou Jallow. They emerged winners among the twenty-three trainees participated in the three weeks entrepreneurship training program in support of the creative industry on small creative business for women and youth, this was sponsored by the UNESCO through the Gambia National Commission for UNESCO.
The idea of small creative business enterprise business plan project was conceived by the NCAC to provide a basic training in a range of entrepreneurial skills, knowledge and business plans that will be of practical assistance to those seeking to enter or progress as self employed entrepreneurs in the creative industry. The twenty-three trainees that undergone the programme were selected from creative sectors which involved music, film, literary art and fashion. However, the three weeks training was followed by a four-week internship whereby trainees tasked to submit viable business plans that attract funding from partners.
Hassoum Ceesay, acting Director General – NCAC thanked UNESCO-Natcom for their support to the centre and also for sponsored the project for development and promoting the entrepreneurship in culture and creative industry development in The Gambia.
He called on the winners to make used of the opportunity and further assured them of the NCAC supports especially that the centre will work with them, individually, on their projects for the next three years.
Maimuna Sidibeh, Principal Programme Officer NatCom-UNESCO congratulated the winners and expressed delight over the the smooth running of the project.
She used the opportunity to remind them of the UNESCO mandate which is to promote young people’s objectives in whatever they are doing especially entrepreneurship. She further assured them of UNESCO support saying this is just the beginning.
