The project focused mainly in the rural areas of the Gambia, aiming to reach to the most vulnerable populations and to the youths most exposed to the risks of irregular migration.

The priority geographies for the activities of the agribusiness component were North Bank and Central River Regions, while the activities of the social cohesion component embraced also Lower River Region and Upper River Region.

The combination of an agribusiness and a social cohesion component was very complex but proved to be key to the effectiveness of the project. The project participants were often targeted by different activities which promoted a cross level impact, from the individual to the community and the institutions and promoted systemic change.

The support to rural agro enterprises was based on a threefold approach

• Access to finance via the provision of in-kind support (grants, start-up kits for trainees and rural youth awards)
• Improvement of the capabilities to successfully manage and run a MSME via trainings in business and management (Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises)
• Promotion of market linkage via the participation in trade fairs and the establishment of business networks

Different mechanisms of support to business development were created. Adjusted to youth with different backgrounds and at different stages of business development, the diversity of mechanisms (also with different amounts involved) ensured an inclusive strategy.

Poultry and small ruminants’ production were the sectors mostly benefiting from business development support.

Enterprises created or supported

91,7% of surveyed project participants reported an income increase due to the support of the project and the average reported increment was 164,4%.

523 jobs were created or sustained

• The continued monitoring of project participants was essential to the results achieved.
• The linkage between agents of the value chain (e.g. grantees and suppliers) and between project participants and regional government authorities (e.g. grantees and Department of Livestock; farmers and Department of Agriculture) promoted networks that survive the project. These networks are key for the consolidation of the supported value chains and for the sustainability of the intervention.
• The engagement of project participants on grants in-kind procurement procedures was crucial for ownership and accountability.

Agriculture concentrates the highest proportion of Gambia active population. The mission of the project was to promote a market-oriented production based on a value chain approach. A major intervention was done in community vegetable gardens of NBR and CRR, including:

• provision of inputs, tools and small equipment (around 300.000€)
• trainings on management and Farm Field Schools (46 farm field schools; 1170 project participants)
• support to the creation of market linkages
• improvement of fencing and water access facilities (9 gardens)
• design of garden development plans (30 garden development plans)
• establishment of 32 Revolving Loan Funds (registering 32.000€ in savings by the end of the project)
• capacitation of management committees (193 women)

• Total of 3.512 people impacted, 3417 being women (98%)
• 97,6% of surveyed project participants reported an increase in production, with a reported average increment of 78% compared to the production before the intervention of the project.
• The intervention in agroinfrastructures brough an immediate impact on the livelihoods, liberating the farmers for other activities.

• The linkage between farmers and regional government authorities was promoted. The collaboration with national and regional authorities was key for the alignment with the national priorities of development, facilitated the implementation of the activities and promoted institutional strengthening via key agents capacitation (e.g Department of Agriculture’s extensionists). This joint work was also a sustainability mechanism as it shall facilitate the continuity of the procedures initiated.
• The establishment of a revolving loan fund, which registered significant savings/investment capacity at the garden group level and the implementation of training of trainers methodologies adjusted to local realities were successful mechanisms of capacitation and sustainability promotion.

For the reinforcement of the employability of Gambian rural youth, skills development opportunities were made available within the 4 main regions of project intervention. Skills learning was coupled with entrepreneurship and career guidance sessions as well as migration awareness activities. This was part of a strategy to ensure that the acquisition of knowledge is complemented with the development of soft skills.

Training centres were also supported to open or to strengthen their operations.

• A total of 398 youths have benefited from skills development training (agriculture sector and smart phones repairs), from which 46% males, 54% females
• 5 training centers strengthened, including 2 new training centres opened in the regions
• training opportunities expanded and diversified in the rural areas of the country

• Training centers were supported in a way that allowed their immediate capacity to provide services, but also to generate income. While financial autonomy is not ensured, it was encouraged the development of strategies to diminish their dependency from external support.
• Enabling factors (e.g. provision of scholarships for trainees; Promotion of conditions for breastfeeding mothers’ attendance) were made available to ensure that no youth was excluded for reasons of gender, poverty, culture specificities or education level.

Radios were supported in terms of equipment (around 45.000€) and infrastructure which, coupled with management and journalism trainings, led to strengthen their role as communication channels

The involvement of community radios has brought together various community actors and fostered intergenerational dialogue about the risks of irregular migration and the economic development opportunities for young people in The Gambia

The usage of various communication and dissemination channels was crucial to achieve a wider audience and radios were key to go beyond youths

The establishment or reinforcement of youth led facilities providing meaningful services to the youth and the overall community was a key dimension of the social cohesion component.

By boosting the youth role on community development and promoting intergenerational recognition one major push factor of migration was address – youth lack of social valorisation.

Over one hundred activities were implemented at the community level, to encourage the discussions on the risks of irregular migration paths of safe migration and opportunities in the country, particularly in the agribusiness and the sports sectors.

The networks of youth friendly places were expanded as endeavoured by the National Development Plan 2018-2021.

• 55 learning circles or outreach initiatives that reached more than 2400 project participants and 30 initiatives of sports for development that reached more than 1300 project participants.
• 1 Youth center and 1 multipurpose hall rehabilitated; 1 new youth center built;
• 1 basketball/volleyball court built and 1 basketball/volleyball court rehabilitated
• 93% of surveyed people strongly agree they are now better aware of the opportunities in the country and of the risks of irregular migration then before benefiting from the Project

• Strengthening the organizational capacity of youth led facilities is key for their sustainability
• These facilities have an important potential as income generation spaces that can create employment and promote meaningful social encounters.

Schools were engaged as a key stage to promote mindset and behavioural change across generations by mobilising the overall school community - students, teachers, families and the schools’ surrounding communities. Activities were based on three thematic areas:

• 93 Awareness raising activities on migration at school or community level and 2 inter-school sports tournaments supported
• Learning and teaching experiences improved: vegetable gardens became a place for practical learning experiences.
• Some vegetable gardens were able to generate revenue and to establish trading channels with the communities.
• 8 Schools with improved water access facilities
• Interregional school sports tournaments promoted
• Pioneer outreach to madarassas communities

• The school is a key space to promote the change of narratives and attitudes and, by engaging the overall school community, it has the potential to generate systemic change
• Target the school community at madarassas is key for an inclusive approach aiming to reach youth vulnerable to irregular migration

• The intervention was highly grounded on a capacitation principle and on the engagement of national and regional stakeholders who have the potential to continue with the development procedures initiated or reinforced during the project.
• At the level of access to finance, development partners and private sector agents are already absorbing the project participants to continue the process of empowerment or for the provision of new services, according with their new economic capacity. Also, the specific mechanisms of access to finance put in place by the project – namely, the grants and the start-up kits, both based on a selection procedure – have been replicated by other institutions.
• The monitoring system of project participants engaged the regional agriculture structures. These structures have manifested the interest to continue monitoring the project participants.
• Training centres, youth centres, and schools were supported in a way that allowed their immediate capacity to provide services, but also to generate income. While financial autonomy is not ensured, it was encouraged the development of strategies to diminish their dependency from external support.
• A revolving fund was created in vegetable gardens, which established significant savings at the garden group level, to be invested in further acquisitions of supplies or for the maintenance of the infra-structures.

• The decentralisation of activities was key for the promotion of opportunities in the country. The adjustment to local languages and the inclusion of illiterate population ensured that no one was left behind.
• The attention for the decentralization of suppliers, factoring in different urban/rural costs but also transportation costs, has proved to be beneficial. A positive side effect of the project has been the support to local businesses via the purchases made.
• Some examples of linkages with the private sector (e.g. availability to receive internships; funding of construction works), bring confidence that it is possible to strengthen cross sector partnerships for development goals.
• While the implementation of positive discrimination measures targeted to returnees were initially discarded to avoid increased stigmatization at the community level, it became evident that this is a segment of the population with characteristics that often call for particular economic, health and social measures. The Project has adjusted the intervention to ensure a greater inclusion of returnees.
• The interlinkage of activities has ensured an integrated approach and promoted systemic change.
• Methodologies such as ToT and peer-to-peer coaching were crucial to promote horizontal learning processes adjusted to local realities.

The purpose of the evaluation was to assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, contribution to impact, and sustainability and transferability of the Tekki Fii project by examining the strategies and implementation processes; analysing the achievement of the outcomes; and understanding the perceived impact according to the participants and key stakeholders.

• The project contributes to different commitments undertaken at the international level.
• It is consistent with the priorities of the EUTF for Africa and with local initiatives.
• It has addressed some of the most pressing economic needs of vulnerable rural populations.
• It took measures to promote that all the project participants could participate in equal conditions.
• Strategies were designed to address more than one root cause of irregular migration.
• Some actions contributed to gender and youth mainstreaming.

• The project achieved the 93% of the outcome and output indicators.
• It has a comprehensive strategy in terms of areas and levels of intervention.
• Throughout the project some adaptations were made to mitigate the challenges that some vegetable gardens faced in terms of water supply and fencing, which contributed to promote a shift to a sustainable market-oriented agriculture
• In the incorporation of a value chain approach, it gave greater weight to actions aimed at strengthening the production component.
• The communication strategy was effective; it included various channels to reach the project participants

• The project allowed and encouraged the meaningful engagement of key government agencies in the different stages of the project.
• The coaching and monitoring of grantees, schools, and vegetable gardens are key factors that contributed to the success of the agribusiness component.
• Delays in the completion of rehabilitation activities and communication issues with youth centres and multipurpose halls hampered the contribution of the project to strengthening their capacity.

• Individual level (grantees and vegetable gardens): increases in income generation, knowledge and skills; emergence of referents within the community; changes in youth mindset towards agriculture; improvements in the availability of inputs and tools and in the capacity for self-organization.
• Immediate environment level: improvements in the well-being of families and in the availability of reintegration opportunities for returnees; emergence of role models to encourage entrepreneurship in agriculture; creation of employment opportunities for other youth; improvements in the cohesion of women's groups.
• Community level (schools, skills training centres, radios): they have the potential to generate systemic changes. They brought together different community actors to engage in dialogue about the risks of irregular migration and the economic development opportunities in The Gambia.

• The provision of seed capital, the acquisition of knowledge and the development of skills have laid a solid foundation that can help sustain income-generating activities.
• The monitoring and coaching strategy has the potential to continue supporting the growth of the project participants and to optimize a model to support other farmers.
• Leaving capacities installed in structures favours the transmission of information and the development of skills in the long term.
• The activities implemented with the purposes of fostering community and intergenerational dialogue, require the support of the community to be sustainable over time.