Overview of The Gambia

The Gambia is a unique West African country considered to be the smallest mainland country in the region. It is bordered almost wholly by Senegal and to the West by the Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of approximately two million (as at 2018). The Gambian population demographics shows that the youth (+15-35 years) make up approximately 64% of the population.

According to Finsope 2019, 57% of the population reside in rural areas whilst whilst 43% reside in urban areas, with about 77% of the population having had some form of formal education. Farming in The Gambia is vital with 61% of adults living in households involved in farming. 69% of the population are financially excluded. This group of people do not use any (formal or informal) form of financial services or product. This is due to factors such as unemployment rate, social and economic structure and access to these products. 

Project Activities 

In The Gambia, German Sparkassenstiftung implements two projects. These projects are the West-African Regional Project with the National Association of Co-Operative Credit Unions of The Gambia (NACCUG) and the Economic Inclusion of Returnees and Potential Migrants in Ghana and The Gambia.

Strenghtening the Credit Union Associations in Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia in their organisational capacities                                                                             
The Regional Project in The Gambia is part of the main regional project aimed at strengthening the Credit Union Associations in Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia in their organizational capacity. In the Gambia, German Sparkassenstiftung supports NACCUG to implement its current Strategic Plan 2018-2020 in the area of Human Resource Development, Risk Management and the establishment of a new Legal Framework, conducive to the future development of the Credit Unions in The Gambia. 

The three main objectives of the project are:
1. To support NACCUG in developing a fully-fledged Training Center to facilitate the enhancement of skills and knowledge of Board Members, Management and Staff Members of Credit Unions.
2. Introduce of a professional and comprehensive Risk Management System for NACCUG and its affiliated Credit Unions.
3. To support NACCUG in its efforts to facilitate and amend the legal framework conditions as stipulated by the relevant supervisory authorities, to ensure an environment that is conducive to the future development and prosperity of the Credit Union sector.
                                                                                                                                                                    
The Economic Inclusion of Returnees and Potential Migrants in Ghana and The Gambia  (Completed)                      German Sparkassenstiftung in The Gambia implemented the “Economic Inclusion of Returnees and Potential Migrants in Ghana and The Gambia” project from 2021-2023 on behalf of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

The project aimed to offer support to returnees and potential migrants to explore existing opportunities by enhancing their relevant business education and financial literacy through business training and coaching. It improved returnees and potential migrants access fo financial services and aided in their reintegration in The Gambia.

The project objectives were:
To equip returnees with basic entrepreneurial skills.
Offer business coaching to enable them to design their own business proposals.
Provide access to Credit Unions 

Support of MSME’s creation to combat the causes of flight in The Gambia (Completed)
German Sparkassenstiftung in The Gambia implemented the “Support of MSME’s creation to combat the causes of flight in The Gambia” project from 2018-2020 funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project provided support to young adults in The Gambia specifically in these two groups, Gambian micro-entrepreneurs (Men between 18-35 years and Women between 18-45 years) and Gambians having returned to The Gambia. 

The project objectives were:

1. To equip potential migrants and returnees with basic entrepreneurial skills.
2. Offer business coaching to enable them to design their own business proposals.
3. Provide access to Credit Unions and offer financial assistance to selected participants in order to help them turn their business ideas into practice / expand their micro business.