Haddy Secka's journey to business success
Inspired by her entrepreneurial mother, 24-year-old Haddy Secka started her business, Chatti Yayam Food Processing, in 2022. She sells local food products such as findi, a grain also known as fonio, and churai gerteh, used to make groundnut porridge.
Like many small business owners, Haddy faced a series of challenges in starting and running the business. She lacked a processing plant, center and raw materials to prepare her products. In addition, she had no shop. ‘I did not have a processing plant to comfortably process and package my food products, as well as a shop to sell,’ Haddy said. ‘I also had no entrepreneurship or financial literacy skills. This posed a huge challenge to me.’
To overcome these challenges, Haddy took a series of trainings with the International Trade Centre (ITC) through its United Nations Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) project. She learned digital and financial literacy, entrepreneurship, food packaging and trade rules. That’s played a crucial role in her business growth.
‘I learned a lot from these trainings. I was encouraged to open a bank account for the business and separate it from family finances. I also learned how to manage my finances. The entrepreneurship training and trade rules also exposed me to different trade rules in West Africa and Africa at large,’ Haddy said.
Through the project, Haddy also participated in the Youth and Women Agribusiness and Tourism Trade Fair (YATE). Jointly organized by the Gambia Women's Chamber of Commerce and the Gambia Youth Chamber of Commerce, YATE is the second biggest trade event in The Gambia.
‘That was a lifechanging experience for me,’ she said. ‘The trade fair improved my business`s visibility, expanded my customer base – many customers collected my contacts and they still buy from me. I also made good sales and a good income.’
To further support the growth of her business, ITC and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) partnered to give grants to 22 cross-border traders like Haddy. She received 150,000 dalasi ($2,215), which she plans to use to open a new processing center, buy processing machines, packaging materials and open a new shop. ‘My plan for the future is to be recognised globally. I will use the fund to grow my business,’ Haddy said.
Her advice to young entrepreneurs is to act when they have a business idea.
‘Business is good. Business can improve your livelihood. I am an example; today, I am able to pay my bills without anyone's help. If you have an idea, develop it into a plan and start something,’ she said. ‘Do not forget to learn skills like financial and digital skills; they will help you grow your business.’
‘My growth is owed to ITC and IOM. I learned from the training, the trade fair exposed my business and the grant will help me scale up,’ she said.
