By Lamin B. Darboe
Girlfriend-to-Girlfriend International over the weekend presented cash loan amount of D180, 000 to the women of KM, WCR and NBR at a ceremony held at Bundung Red Cross office behind Serekunda East Football field.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the acting President, Gambia Women Federation, Maria Dacosta praised Girlfriend-to-Girlfriend International through their Country Ambassador, Councilor Sulayman Jammeh and Aji Amie Jatta its Country Project Coordinator for standing behind The Gambian women.
Madam Dacosta informed the gathering that Girlfriend-to-Girlfriend International through their country Ambassador, Councilor Jammeh implemented series of development project in KM and other parts of the country.
She explained that the association micro-finance loan provision to women started in with 25 women as a pilot project in the year 2014 and due to the commencement of these women towards the loan repayment, the association decided to make it as a yearly expansion program for other women in small-scale trading to benefit.
The loan according to Madam Dacosta will be distributed among 36 members and each will go home with D5, 000 and out of the 36 members the association has 10 new members.
She explained that the loan will be used as a start-up capital for the 10 new members while the rest of the members will use the loan to expand their business.
According to her, last year the association extended its arms to the women of Essau in the provision of micro-finance loan in small-scale trade thus explained that the association is working on modalities on how to implement its micro-finance loan program to other communities across the country.
For her part, the founder of Girlfriend-to-Girlfriend International, Danish Chapter, Madam Louis Torbensen said due to the hard-work, commitment and repayment of member’s loans, they are able to empower more women KM, WCR and NBR.
She added that due to the hard-work of the Danish chapter they can expand and invite more women to join the Girlfriend community and she urged the members to be proud of themselves.
She appealed to the Girlfriend-to-Girlfriend the Gambia chapter members to be always inspired by the ambitions and vision of Councilor, Sulayman Jammeh and Aji Amie Jatta-Njie’s leadership styles.
Sulayman Jammeh, Country Ambassador, Girlfriend-to-Girlfriend, The Gambia chapter, who doubles as Councilor for Bundung Six Junction Ward said: “My development has no boundary and I term politic as something that should be separated from development if we are to succeed in achieving our development goals”.
“Let’s put aside politic and face development of all kinds in our ward and the country in general, because it is only development that can move a nation forward nothing else,” Councilor Jammeh advised.