The proposed action aims to improve economic development and future prospects for The Gambia’s youth, including returning and/or potential migrants by promoting attractive employment and income opportunities, and to support the Government in its attempt to nurture perception shift for the Gambian population moving away from a ‘future through migration’ to a ‘future in The New Gambia’.
Alongside with the recent political transition towards democracy after 22 years of authoritarian rule, the Gambia faces major economic and social challenges. An undiversified and vulnerable economy, high unemployment or under-employment and poverty rates, lack of reliable and affordable energy, sub-optimal infrastructure and lack of quality education are just some of the push factors. In addition, the number of returnees from Europe and transit countries in Africa will continue to increase due to the challenging situations along the central Mediterranean route and the increase of refusals for asylum-seekers status linked to the change of political regime in The Gambia.
Furthermore the programme aims also at strengthening the reintegration referral mechanism to be developed by IOM, to ensure that return for migrants is a sustainable positive experience in terms of access to skills development programmes and social reintegration, increasing their employability. Finally, the diaspora members should be channelled to better contribute to productive growth through an efficient and sustainable system; a pilot will be initiated, predominantly based on tried and tested forms of sustainable diaspora finance models.

Main objectives

The overall objective of the proposed action is to contribute to socio-economic development and to nurture positive prospects for local populations and returning migrants in the Gambia. The three specific objectives (SO) of the action are the following:
SO.1: To boost economic development with a focus on attractive employment and revenue generation in regions prone to migration. SO.2: To promote a conducive socio-economic environment for an effective and sustainable reintegration and to improve the attractiveness of rural areas. SO.3: To promote the concept: 'tekki fii – Make it Here -Make it in the Gambia'

Contracts

GIZ

EUR 7 000 000

Make it in The Gambia - GIZ

Instituto Marquês de Valle Flôr

EUR 5 000 000

Make it in The Gambia - IMVF

ENABEL - Belgian Development Agency

EUR 7 000 000

Make it in the Gambia - Rural Infrastructure for Employment Creation in The Gambia (RIEC) - Enabel

Action Fiche