CEO Asiedu on Gambian Women
Friday 30th December 2005

For as long as could be remembered, even people of good conscience have dismissed the challenge posed by extreme poverty as too vast, too overwhelming and too complicated to tackle.

However, Madam Cecilia Nketiah Asiedu, a US – based Ghanaian business tycoon, is confident that it’s not impossible to eliminate extreme poverty.

Madam Asiedu, CEO of Nasem C&K African Market inc., New York, was recently in The Gambia for a three-day visit during which she held meetings with the officials of the US Embassy in Banjul, women working at Tanji fish landing site among others.

Our very own Momodou Justice Darboe accompanied by Sarata Jabbi-Dibba met Madam Asiedu in her hotel room at Cape Point Hotel where she harped upon how she intend to participate in improving the quality of life of the Gambian  women, her prescription for poverty alleviation among others.

SHE: We’re made to understand that you just concluded a three-day visit to The Gambia. Can you enlighten us about the purpose of your visit?

CEO Asiedu: Indeed, I’ve just rounded off a three-day visit to The Gambia during which I took the opportunity to meet officials of the US Embassy, women working at the Tanji fish landing site among many other engagements.

SHE: So what is your impression about The Gambia?

CEO: The Gambia is a beautiful country. The people are warm and the atmosphere peaceful.  The landscape is beautiful and the river magnificent. But there is yearning from the people especially women eager to learn a trade, ready to pull themselves up, integrate with the outside world locally, regionally and internationally.

What amazed me the most in meeting the women despite they are not so much exposed is that they are not afraid to make a venture.

It looks like they’ve been ever ready to get out of their shells to make something for themselves.

SHE: What exactly do you mean ?

CEO Asiedu: As far as my interaction with them was concerned, their business acumen is high. Their commitment to enter a new venture is great, ready to take risks and ready to sacrifice.

SHE: What type  of future do you see for the Gambian women?

CEO Asiedu: The future is bright. That’s the impression that made me re-stratigise my approach to come back, spend a longer time, be with them and put my hands into trading. This is to say not to take a backseat in their activities by only making telephone calls.

SHE: What do you plan to do with the women in The Gambia?

CEO Asiedu: They need training. With the kind of the market that we are going to take our products to especially US and Europe, which has set standards which have to be passed on to all levels of production.

SHE: Is this training going to be limited to only the women at Tanji fish landing site?

CEO Asiedu: Am going to train the women of Tanji and whoever is interested. I will start with Tanji but the sky is the limit. When we solidify our things in Tanji, we will move on to other villages who are interested in our interventions.

SHE: Why do you fly thousands of kilometres to The Gambia to work with the Gambian women. Why Gambia?

CEO Asiedu: First of all, am an African. Secondly, am a Ghanaian and thirdly a woman. I started this in Ghana.

I formed an association and was the president for ten years. With the assistance of international donor agencies especially USAID, we were able to train ourselves in so many ways concerning export to other countries.

SHE: Can you look back and count some gains recorded by this association you formed in Ghana?

CEO Asiedu: The Ghanaian export community had the opportunity to be exposed and ten to fifteen years after, exports in Ghana cut across the community. There are success stories to the assistance given to Ghana when we rose from six million US dollars non traditional export earnings in 1990 to over 400 million US dollars as at today. So you can see the picture that the training that we all got ourselves into has created employment, brought women out of their shells and to me Ghana is on its way. So as far as am concerned. It’s just an opportunity for me to see how I can translate what I have learnt to the world and The Gambia happens to be the place.

SHE: So do you think you can be able to make a difference to the lives of the Gambian women?

CEO Asiedu: I cannot make a difference alone but if we gain the support of the government, donor agencies and if Gambian women are committed, then the future is very bright. There will be a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

SHE: What exactly are your intervention areas?

CEO Asiedu: I will start with fishing communities and then extend it to horticulture, textiles, education and social amenities. We need perseverance, hard work and sacrifice. You can’t have your cake everyday. You can’t tell me you will sleep for fifteen hours a day and that you want to make a living.

SHE: What are your plans for youths if any?

CEO Asiedu: I’m  also resolved to empower Gambian youths through skills training. We need the youths. We need to train them in order to prepare them to fill the vacancies that will be created when elders leave.

SHE: Thank you so much Madam Asiedu for granting us this interview.

CEO Asiedu: You are very welcomed.