By Seedy Jobe
President Adama Barrow on Wednesday announced D32.93 million in grants for 738 adolescent girls and young women who completed entrepreneurship and business management training under the SWEDD+ Programme, describing the initiative as part of his government’s commitment to expanding economic opportunities for women.
Speaking at the SWEDD+ Certification Ceremony, President Barrow said the beneficiaries, drawn from Banjul, the Kanifing Municipality, and the West Coast Region, would receive start-up capital to help launch or expand their businesses.
The grant package allocates D20.59 million to beneficiaries in the West Coast Region, D9.99 million to those in the Kanifing Municipality, and D2.35 million to participants from Banjul.
Mr. Barrow said the funding is intended to provide not only financial assistance but also a pathway to long-term economic independence. He added that the government has committed a further D117 million to provide start-up grants to 2,064 out-of-school and vulnerable girls and young women across the country.
“When women are empowered economically, families thrive, communities grow stronger, and nations prosper,” the president said.
He described the empowerment of women and girls as a central pillar of the government’s national development agenda, arguing that no country can fully realize its potential. At the same time, half of its population remains economically disadvantaged.
Addressing the graduates, Mr. Barrow urged them to use the grants responsibly and to build sustainable businesses.
“Use these resources wisely, manage your businesses with discipline and integrity, and continue learning, adapting, and innovating,” he said. “Be role models and pioneers for a new generation of Gambian women.”
Although Wednesday’s ceremony focused on beneficiaries from the Greater Banjul Area, the president said the SWEDD+ Programme is being implemented nationwide and that similar certification ceremonies will be held in other regions.
He also thanked the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, the Women’s Enterprise Fund, implementing agencies, and the World Bank for supporting the initiative.
Mr. Barrow encouraged the graduates to view the certification not as the end of their journey but as the beginning of new opportunities.
“Set forth purposefully and confidently. Believe in yourselves, strive for excellence, and live as role models and champions of positive change,” he said.
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