Back and Next - Back and NextYouth in business is your business
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Unsung heroes within the small and medium size enterprises (Smse) in The Gambia
Market Beat has the singular honour and privilege of meeting one of Gambia’s finest dons within the indigenous printing industry. This is no other than a perfect gentleman and a real youth man among the youth folk of our beloved country, mother Gambia our dearest and that is Mr. Saga Fatty of Ismael Printers.
Supporting people through proceeds of his small business
As a social observer and interviewer of people I was deeply moved and encouraged with what I see and hear from Mr Saja Fatty and that leads me to the conclusion that the future is really bright for all Gambian youths and there is of course reasons to be optimistic about our youths. Mr Fatty is an embodiment of hope, success and promise of the typical Gambian youth and in him there is definitely a role model and a mentor to many of our youthful folk yawning for one.
In my marathon interview with him I have seen and witnessed how the works of some very small businessmen like Saja are contributing to the general financial operational circulation of our small Gambian communities. In these bunch of people I classified as unsung heroes of very Gambian makeup we have pillars in our various neighbourhoods who day in day out support our brothers, sister, families and the general societal residents in their respective needs and wants. In their small business enterprises they give, support and shared the meagre profits that flow there from with the people they live with.
An unnoticed football supporter at nursery and ‘nawettan’ level
Yes it a Gambian Style, a very Gambian gesture to see youths and local community actors storm some big and small offices for collective football matters or for individual spending remittances to meet a particular guy or organisation in the hope that their needs will be satisfied. This is very evident in Saja’s case as in my one hour long interview with him I witness people come in and they all walk away with something as evident with the broad smiles on their respective smiles on their way out.
Saja is a pioneer and long time sponsor of Gambian football at very nursery and at ‘newattan’ level, being the equivalent of division two, division three and even division four stages respectively in the progression and promotion of players within our local set up. He sponsors at minimum four teams every season as per their jerseys and small preparatory needs for over fifteen years now. Today, the Gambian boosts some very amazing football talents in persons who have been supported by Saja over the years. Bravo Saja and please keep up the good work as I was very impressed with you and what you doing for Gambian children and people who read this interview will also be impressed and may even emulate your great skills and love you manifest for Gambian football and Gambian youths.
I must at this point, point to the fact that if such a small man like Saja is able to fund and participate gigantically out of his own small savings emanating from his own small business setting then I have no doubt that if he becomes greater he will do some amazing things for both Gambian football and the Gambian youths. In the same vein, I will also ask of you lot out there who are bigger than Saja to take up the challenge and stop the excuse that it is the government’s business as it is the reality then in the USA as it is today in the Gambia, when a reigning US president ask the US populace to ask of themselves what can I, as an individual do for the USA and not what the USA can do for me.
Saja told me as Gambians we should ask what we can do for the Gambia and not what the Gambia can do for us. Those of us smaller than Saja should also take up something as small as starting to support one football team or try to sponsor the spreading of gravel on one street where we live. This will be a great show of patriotism and those of us with some clout should try doing something worthwhile for Gambia, even if it means doing what Lawyer Jobarteh did at Bansang. It is your responsibility to be a responsible citizen so come out of your shell and complement government efforts be it in road construction or supporting Gambian football. Nation building is a shared responsibility and I wish we all join the likes of Saja and move this mighty country into higher heights.
Pot-Shot interview with main man Saja
Name of business - Ismael Printers
Line of business - Printing of T-shirts, sign boards, neon signs, paper printing, billboards, banners, etc.
Address of business - No 2 Jayesey Faye Street next to Photo lab Sifideen
Name of owner - Saja Fatty
Type of business - Sole proprietorship
How many years in business - 15 years today
Annual turnover - About average Gambian standard
Number of employees - Two (2) permanent staff and 10 part time employees
Other engagements - Sponsoring local nawettan teams and football related issues and Wales FC is my brain child and I have lot of time for them. Organising local cleaning exercises with dance and masquerade escorts with drumming and other cultural activities all geared towards helping the youths and raising consciousness of our environment and one another.
What is your strength in the business? Frequent patronage by old customers who has been there with us from the start and still keep coming back and bringing businesses to us. This is made possible by the quality and attention we give our customers and that is the breakthrough and as far as I am concerned I will always gives quality and time to my customers.
What are your weaknesses or shortcomings in the business? – Lack of the prerequisite materials in the Gambian market to do some of our jobs. Sometimes we have to go as far a field as Senegal to buy materials for our works costing us time and money. Our other problem is some of our customers bring to us last minute jobs and expect us to deliver quality and on time, that is a bit of an over ask as we need the business but timing is very important and as partners they should respect that.
One word on Gambian Football - Average
One word to describe Gambian Music - Average
One word to describe the Gambian youth - Trying
Best team outside Gambian consideration - Arsenal FC
Best diet - Benachin
How old are you - 42 years
Highest level of education - GCE O’ Levels
Best moment - when I have a big job and that challenge gets the best out of me and I feel good and great with such challenges, bring it on.
If you have a chance to meet the president, what will you tell him? I will tell him to help me so that I can help others. Meaning, I will tell him to help me build a structure at a land that I already acquired so that I can start an art school here. I think it is high time we get an art school in this country and I want to start it if and when I get the necessary support and encouragement. With this school, I will be able to help and enrol a lot of idle youths and help fight the lack of skills in this country and that way we will get on target in our development aspirations. I will be over the moon if I am accorded the chance of a life time to meet this great leader. With him there is hope for Africa and the mere mention of his name raises confidence and promise that Africa is beginning to get its calibre of leaders.
What is the solution of Africa’s food crises? Back to the land exodus immediately as is constantly harped on by HE the President Yaya AJJ Jammeh.
If you have something to change in the Gambian way of life what will it be? Refocus our resources and energies in youth development as we can truly development once the youths are developing but no meaningful development can take place if the youths are neglected. Remember the old are all too conservative and rigid to absorb new thinkings and ideas but the youth can learn and are ready to learn so we must change our perception about the youths and try to move towards the direction of our youths and help them learn, reach and evolve in our thinking along the 2020 Vision.
Best Gambian Entrepreneur? Amadou Samba because he encourages me greatly by his patronages and what he does in business sense in this country is headline news.
As a keen follower of infant Gambian football and an ardent supporter of Newetan football what is the way forward to the development of the newetan game? There must be more teams in the nawettan leagues so that more talents can surface.
The nawettan authorities must be able to electrify all nawettan pitches so that we can have night matches and be able to create more time for more talents to surface. In Senegal where the football is a bit more develop there are about the registration of 100 teams in a single nawettan zone as compared to Serrekunda East’s 20 teams so we have room for improvement. The revenue collected must also be redirected in the manner it is spent so that we can get the best out of the monies collected. The teams and nawettan committees must institute new regimes and checks and balances to monitor and utilise funds judiciously for the betterment of Gambian football. The nawettan should also start early and last late so that all hidden talents are show cased.
You Final words? I will ask of you today to support your own as if you do not support your Gambian brothers and sisters in business where do you expect then to get support? We must start supporting our own and that is the sad truth every where you go in the world is the same story then why not in the Gambia. Secondly, we must love and support our leadership and help them in following their advices and directives in developing this country. I think President is on the right track and that translates to the fact that we should all give him our 100% support to see to it that policies such as ‘Back to Land’ takes root and taking development to every villages and hamlet in this country.
A word of wisdom? The more you give, the more you get.
Market Beat has the singular honour and privilege of meeting one of Gambia’s finest dons within the indigenous printing industry. This is no other than a perfect gentleman and a real youth man among the youth folk of our beloved country, mother Gambia our dearest and that is Mr. Saga Fatty of Ismael Printers.
Supporting people through proceeds of his small business
As a social observer and interviewer of people I was deeply moved and encouraged with what I see and hear from Mr Saja Fatty and that leads me to the conclusion that the future is really bright for all Gambian youths and there is of course reasons to be optimistic about our youths. Mr Fatty is an embodiment of hope, success and promise of the typical Gambian youth and in him there is definitely a role model and a mentor to many of our youthful folk yawning for one.
In my marathon interview with him I have seen and witnessed how the works of some very small businessmen like Saja are contributing to the general financial operational circulation of our small Gambian communities. In these bunch of people I classified as unsung heroes of very Gambian makeup we have pillars in our various neighbourhoods who day in day out support our brothers, sister, families and the general societal residents in their respective needs and wants. In their small business enterprises they give, support and shared the meagre profits that flow there from with the people they live with.
An unnoticed football supporter at nursery and ‘nawettan’ level
Yes it a Gambian Style, a very Gambian gesture to see youths and local community actors storm some big and small offices for collective football matters or for individual spending remittances to meet a particular guy or organisation in the hope that their needs will be satisfied. This is very evident in Saja’s case as in my one hour long interview with him I witness people come in and they all walk away with something as evident with the broad smiles on their respective smiles on their way out.
Saja is a pioneer and long time sponsor of Gambian football at very nursery and at ‘newattan’ level, being the equivalent of division two, division three and even division four stages respectively in the progression and promotion of players within our local set up. He sponsors at minimum four teams every season as per their jerseys and small preparatory needs for over fifteen years now. Today, the Gambian boosts some very amazing football talents in persons who have been supported by Saja over the years. Bravo Saja and please keep up the good work as I was very impressed with you and what you doing for Gambian children and people who read this interview will also be impressed and may even emulate your great skills and love you manifest for Gambian football and Gambian youths.
I must at this point, point to the fact that if such a small man like Saja is able to fund and participate gigantically out of his own small savings emanating from his own small business setting then I have no doubt that if he becomes greater he will do some amazing things for both Gambian football and the Gambian youths. In the same vein, I will also ask of you lot out there who are bigger than Saja to take up the challenge and stop the excuse that it is the government’s business as it is the reality then in the USA as it is today in the Gambia, when a reigning US president ask the US populace to ask of themselves what can I, as an individual do for the USA and not what the USA can do for me.
Saja told me as Gambians we should ask what we can do for the Gambia and not what the Gambia can do for us. Those of us smaller than Saja should also take up something as small as starting to support one football team or try to sponsor the spreading of gravel on one street where we live. This will be a great show of patriotism and those of us with some clout should try doing something worthwhile for Gambia, even if it means doing what Lawyer Jobarteh did at Bansang. It is your responsibility to be a responsible citizen so come out of your shell and complement government efforts be it in road construction or supporting Gambian football. Nation building is a shared responsibility and I wish we all join the likes of Saja and move this mighty country into higher heights.
Pot-Shot interview with main man Saja
Name of business - Ismael Printers
Line of business - Printing of T-shirts, sign boards, neon signs, paper printing, billboards, banners, etc.
Address of business - No 2 Jayesey Faye Street next to Photo lab Sifideen
Name of owner - Saja Fatty
Type of business - Sole proprietorship
How many years in business - 15 years today
Annual turnover - About average Gambian standard
Number of employees - Two (2) permanent staff and 10 part time employees
Other engagements - Sponsoring local nawettan teams and football related issues and Wales FC is my brain child and I have lot of time for them. Organising local cleaning exercises with dance and masquerade escorts with drumming and other cultural activities all geared towards helping the youths and raising consciousness of our environment and one another.
What is your strength in the business? Frequent patronage by old customers who has been there with us from the start and still keep coming back and bringing businesses to us. This is made possible by the quality and attention we give our customers and that is the breakthrough and as far as I am concerned I will always gives quality and time to my customers.
What are your weaknesses or shortcomings in the business? – Lack of the prerequisite materials in the Gambian market to do some of our jobs. Sometimes we have to go as far a field as Senegal to buy materials for our works costing us time and money. Our other problem is some of our customers bring to us last minute jobs and expect us to deliver quality and on time, that is a bit of an over ask as we need the business but timing is very important and as partners they should respect that.
One word on Gambian Football - Average
One word to describe Gambian Music - Average
One word to describe the Gambian youth - Trying
Best team outside Gambian consideration - Arsenal FC
Best diet - Benachin
How old are you - 42 years
Highest level of education - GCE O’ Levels
Best moment - when I have a big job and that challenge gets the best out of me and I feel good and great with such challenges, bring it on.
If you have a chance to meet the president, what will you tell him? I will tell him to help me so that I can help others. Meaning, I will tell him to help me build a structure at a land that I already acquired so that I can start an art school here. I think it is high time we get an art school in this country and I want to start it if and when I get the necessary support and encouragement. With this school, I will be able to help and enrol a lot of idle youths and help fight the lack of skills in this country and that way we will get on target in our development aspirations. I will be over the moon if I am accorded the chance of a life time to meet this great leader. With him there is hope for Africa and the mere mention of his name raises confidence and promise that Africa is beginning to get its calibre of leaders.
What is the solution of Africa’s food crises? Back to the land exodus immediately as is constantly harped on by HE the President Yaya AJJ Jammeh.
If you have something to change in the Gambian way of life what will it be? Refocus our resources and energies in youth development as we can truly development once the youths are developing but no meaningful development can take place if the youths are neglected. Remember the old are all too conservative and rigid to absorb new thinkings and ideas but the youth can learn and are ready to learn so we must change our perception about the youths and try to move towards the direction of our youths and help them learn, reach and evolve in our thinking along the 2020 Vision.
Best Gambian Entrepreneur? Amadou Samba because he encourages me greatly by his patronages and what he does in business sense in this country is headline news.
As a keen follower of infant Gambian football and an ardent supporter of Newetan football what is the way forward to the development of the newetan game? There must be more teams in the nawettan leagues so that more talents can surface.
The nawettan authorities must be able to electrify all nawettan pitches so that we can have night matches and be able to create more time for more talents to surface. In Senegal where the football is a bit more develop there are about the registration of 100 teams in a single nawettan zone as compared to Serrekunda East’s 20 teams so we have room for improvement. The revenue collected must also be redirected in the manner it is spent so that we can get the best out of the monies collected. The teams and nawettan committees must institute new regimes and checks and balances to monitor and utilise funds judiciously for the betterment of Gambian football. The nawettan should also start early and last late so that all hidden talents are show cased.
You Final words? I will ask of you today to support your own as if you do not support your Gambian brothers and sisters in business where do you expect then to get support? We must start supporting our own and that is the sad truth every where you go in the world is the same story then why not in the Gambia. Secondly, we must love and support our leadership and help them in following their advices and directives in developing this country. I think President is on the right track and that translates to the fact that we should all give him our 100% support to see to it that policies such as ‘Back to Land’ takes root and taking development to every villages and hamlet in this country.
A word of wisdom? The more you give, the more you get.
Author: by Momodou Camara
See Also - See Also