This is an updated version of the article below, initially published on the three-time globally award-winning media digest BizCatalyst 360° in 2021:
The Creation Story of E-Bantaba Learning, Working, Business Centres In The Gambia
The Situation Analysis: The impetus for revisiting this topic came from learning about a friend’s daughter who tried to make the same dangerous journey but couldn’t secure passage. This experience spurred us to take action and launch a pilot project to address the underlying issues.
Tragically, many individuals, including families, lose their lives attempting to reach Europe from Africa. Gambians are disproportionately represented among those making this perilous journey. My personal connection to The Gambia, having lived there from 2002 to 2004 and revisited multiple times.
According to Statisca, in 2023, it was estimated that 3,105 migrants died while crossing the Mediterranean Sea. As of October 2024, 1620 casualties were recorded. However, the accurate number of deaths recorded in the Mediterranean Sea cannot be ascertained. Between 2014 and 2018, for instance, about 12,000 people who drowned were never found.
The following is a YouTube produced by Vice News: Inside The World’s Deadliest Migrant Route
Time Magazine Article:
Gambian Soccer Player Drowns in Mediterranean While Trying to Reach Europe
The Need: The Gambian labour market is currently characterized by high unemployment, particularly among young people. At the same time, there is a high demand for technical expertise and a lack of quality and services offered by (state-run) vocational training institutions. With the rapid disruptive force of Artificial Intelligence, there is an urgent need for AI education. The challenges include limited infrastructure, lack of qualified teachers, and cultural barriers.
The Question: What could be done to eliminate or reduce the dangerous economic migration journey of Gambian and other African youth who flee to Europe out of desperation and lack of job opportunities? Even if they survive the journey and reach Europe’s shores, they face many more hardships.
The Solution: Create E-Bantabas, electronic meeting places that provide shared internet infrastructure and software training for youth to study, work remotely, and start small businesses. This will enable youth to further their education and establish their place in the digital global economy while remaining in their home village.
“Bantaba” is derived from the word for a large tree called Bentennie in the Mandinka language and is a traditional meeting place for people of the village. The origin of the word is from the Mandinka for tree, which is “Bant,” and “aba” means “where to meet,” and so the two words combined say Bant-aba. The original Bantabas in the pre-colonist times were built on reciprocity and redistribution, emphasizing social order, obedience and respect for tradition. They were the village centre of culture, commerce, and community governance, including dispute resolution. E-Bantaba is designed to follow the same traditions.
We borrowed a simple but impactful solution from the global COVID-19 pandemic playbook: study and work from home anywhere. What if Gambia youth from 15-25 could remain home to study and/or work and never embark on the dangerous journey to Europe?
Universal Education: We believe in universal access to education and the goal of removing all barriers to education and thus creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education alone can cause it to reveal its treasures and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.
— Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, Lawh-i-Maqsúd
The Outcomes:
- Reduced youth migration
- Lives Saved
- Economic empowerment
- Gender equality participation
- Enhanced digital literacy
- Community development
The Launch E-Bantaba # 1: We are excited to announce that we plan to launch our first E-BANTABA in early 2025 in the Central Gidda community of Brikama Gambia. The core services for all E-Bantabas are high-speed internet hubs. The first digital guided education courses will be an introduction to Google Workforce and Artificial intelligence for beginners. Each student will bring their device and contribute to operation costs and in-kind contributions after graduation.
Scaling E-Bantaba: The plan for 2025 is to expand its reach to rural Botswana and Jamaica. We are currently consulting with youth, parents, and community leaders to ensure the long-term viability of each E-Bantaba. Some early feedback is that we are considering creating a placement office to assist graduates from our courses in finding employment in private and public sectors and remote work from abroad. And also to engage the families in support of the programme.
Go-Invest-in me: The goal is that each E-Bantaba will be self-sufficient within 12-18 months. E-Bantaba will be a not-for-profit managed by local youth. After receiving the one-time investment funds, they will self-support through commercial private partnership activities. The plan is to raise start-up capital for the E-Bantabas through a “go-invest-in-me” model. Each investor will hold shares in E-Bantaba and can apply to sell their shares and receive original investment plus 5% or re-invest to increase the number of E-Bantaba in underdeveloped and underserved communities.
The Ask: We hope you will follow us on our purpose-driven journey. We will assist in keeping Gambian youths safe at home and contribute to their economic well-being, families, and villages. We ask for your financial investment and or your sweat equity to reach our goals. For more information, you can contact me at [email protected]
Inshallah!
