Food Security & Livelihoods

Following research that revealed a 41% youth unemployment rate in The Gambia, ChildFund established a shoemaking and training facility in Brikama, West Coast Region, to expand employment opportunities for young people.

Implemented in partnership with Saama Kairo Federation, the initiative equips youth with practical skills and job opportunities while also supporting the livelihoods of local distributors and retailers who sell the factory’s finished products for both local and export markets.

The facility is a significant step toward addressing youth unemployment. It also serves as a model of good practice by discouraging the importation of basic sandals and other shoe brands, helping to reduce the strain on the national economy, which relies on imports for more than 95 percent of its goods.

To date, the program has enrolled more than two dozen youth, primarily young women, who are currently undergoing training at the center. It is also providing the local market with a variety of affordable shoes that were previously imported from neighboring countries and Asia.