By: Aja Musu Bah-Daffeh
As bread remains scarce in The Gambia, some Gambians, especially senior citizens have called on Gambian youths to venture into the baking industry, adding that government and the private sector should invest in the industry to avoid frequent shortage of bread.
In an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network, Pape Sambou, a tailor at Lamin Haryalla encouraged youths, especially the unemployed, to venture into bread baking rather than imbibing a lazy culture of sitting idly, smoking and brewing or drinking green tea (Attaya).
He said that bread baking is a skill, a noble job and a lucrative business young boys should venture into than shying away from it and stop blaming the few in the trade for not providing bread for people.
“Most Gambian youths live on dependency and do not want to be involved in bread baking, fishing, agriculture and other skillful jobs that will give them a meaningful life than to consider these jobs as menial jobs,” Mr. Sambou stated.
He stressed that the country cannot be developed without youths taking active roles. “Government cannot be blamed for everything that is happening in the country,” Mr. Haryally emphasized.
A breakfast vendor at Tallinding, Fatou Manneh cried that her business is on the verge of collapse due to the scarcity of bread in the country.
“This is the only business I do to help my husband in meeting the needs of our family. He cannot do it all, so it is my responsibility as a wife and mother to help him take care of the children,” she lamented.
Mrs. Manneh decried that the government and more especially the Gambian youths should take a bold stance in ending such problems in the country.
Another concerned citizen, Lamin Cham opined that to overcome the shortage of bread in the country, every Gambian should learn how to bake bread in their various homes and be baking it for family consumption.
He equally said that Gambians should now grab the ultimate responsibility to venture into the bakery industry.
Mr. Cham advised that the government should provide the necessary supports to encourage Gambian youths to go into baking, adding that it is one viable way of tackling youth unemployment in the Gambia.
Bread is hugely part of the daily meals consumed in the Gambia. Many depend on it for either physical or economic survival.
