By: Dawda Baldeh
In this edition of The Fatu Network Exclusive, we showcase Amie Bojang, a young woman who confronted the challenges of unemployment caused by the coronavirus pandemic and successfully established herself as the owner of a Design & Printing Company.
Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Amie’s journey as a printer began when she was compelled to leave her position as a secretary at ACE, a printing company.
Like many others affected by the pandemic, Amie found herself jobless and decided to venture into a new endeavor as a printing agent.
During this time, she sustained herself by taking on small contracts that involved collaboration with different printing companies.
“While working at the printing company during the coronavirus crisis, my boss asked me to stop due to slow business,” Amie explained.
After three weeks of inactivity, she took matters into her own hands and started offering printing services on a smaller scale.
Whenever someone needed T-shirts, Amie would assist by taking their requests to West Field and printing the required designs.
Drawing on the basics of designing that she acquired during her time as a secretary, she would create designs at the printing studio in West Field and take them home for pasting using a local iron, despite acknowledging that this process was slow.
Motivated by her determination to succeed, Amie then took further steps towards success by applying for a higher position at a prominent construction company called GIGO Construction.
While waiting for a response to her application, Amie began making face masks for people, including handing out masks with GIGO Construction’s logo, which caught the attention of the company’s CEO.
Impressed by her work, the CEO contacted Amie to inquire about the designer responsible for the masks.
When she admitted that she had created them, the CEO gave her a sample of a reflector and helmet to design and print for the company.
The young designer revealed that after delivering the sample to GIGO’s office, she was asked to design and print one hundred reflectors and helmets.
During her struggle to kickstart her business, Amie resorted to having her project work printed at a studio in West Field.
Gradually, she saved some money to purchase her own printing machine, a heat press.
As a result, Amie successfully established her own design and printing company, known as Amie Bojang’s Design & Printing (AB Design & Printing Company).
One of her initial significant contracts was with GIGO, consisting of eight billboards in Basse.
Amie recounted her endeavor to find a suitable location for her printing company, which eventually led to her constructing a workspace in her own house.
Presently, Amie has a thriving business with contracts from various companies, supported by a team of five employees.
“Our team includes a welder, a graphic designer, and a person who specializes in making paperbacks…,” Amie shared with The Fatu Network.
However, despite her success, Amie now faces new challenges such as the deliberate destruction of her work by unknown individuals.
“With the increasing recognition and reputation of my work, some people have begun to destroy my billboards in locations like Mobile Traffic and Banjul,” Amie lamented.
The destruction of her billboards in Mobile Traffic and Banjul has occurred multiple times, revealing the adversity Amie faces as she tries to make a living.
Amie expressed her distress at such actions, emphasizing the harm it causes not only to her but also to the trust placed in her by her clients.
“It’s disheartening to have people trust you with their work, only to see it destroyed. I am a struggling young woman trying to make ends meet, and these individuals are making it harder for me,” she shared with emotion.
Amie’s primary concern revolves around how her valued customers will perceive these malicious acts.
“Imagine someone placing their trust in you and entrusting you with their work, only to have others destroy it. It is truly painful. I implore anyone engaged in these malicious acts to cease their actions, as they go against what is right,” Amie pleaded.
Her ultimate aspiration is to expand her business and create more job opportunities for the younger generation in her country. Furthermore, Amie aspires to serve as an inspiration for others who are driven to achieve success.
