The most talked about Women's Weekly column in the Daily Observer, this week had an encounter with another woman of substance, who is immensely contributing in the socio-economic development of the country, This is no other person than Mrs Jal Yassin Jah-Mbye a Veteran Food Processor.

Jal Yassin, borned in 1957 in Banjul, at government house, presently known as Quadrangle, is the proprietress and the managing director of Jal Yassin Enterprise Ltd.

Speaking to the mistress of the Women Weekly columnist at her residence in Latrikunda Sabiji, Jal Yassin said that, she attended, Windly Primary School, Banjul City Council Secondary School, then she proceeded to National Vocational Training Centre to study Mechanical and later to GTTI. Before she established her own business, she worked with the Public Works Department (PWD), for 13 years. She is a member of GCCI and the Association of Food Processors.

According to Mrs Mbye, her business was established in 1990, and gradually increased in size to meet the demand for its services, noting that, she now employed five (5) people as the demand for services continue to rise.

Jal Yassin disclosed that, the purposed of implementing such a business project is to participate in the poverty alleviation programme, which The Gambia government always advocates for as well as reducing the dependency ratio in the family.

"In the demonstrati0n of my unflinching support for the development of this country, I fully participate in various workshops both at home and outside. I also took part in several trade fairs here at home and abroad, including the recent trade fair organised by The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI)," she stated.

From 1997 to date, she said, her Enterprise has been successful in the supply and production of chakry, fufu, starch, cherreh, gari, pre-cooked findi, dry fruits and other cereals. Adding that, she also distributes some of these products to some of the supermarkets in the country and she has also been able to open a mini market which serves as a distribution point for her products.

Jal Yassin has also acquired certificates as a food processor, such as, Certificate of speciality food export training, Certificate of food processing on cereal popping and mango drying, Certificate of training on US, FDA import and labelling requirement and so on.

Jal Yassin further said that, these are local foods which are very good for our health but they have most of their customers from abroad. She also call on government to provide them with a centre where they can train school drop outs and also the youths.

In highlighting some of there constraints, she said, lack of funding, has been the main cause of getting her project off its small-scale orbit into a big time business. "Previous attempts of acquiring fund from various sectors did not bear fruits,this was the course of the delay in the realisation of my business objectives," she revealed.

Mrs Jal Yassin Jah-Mbye appealed to H.E Alh. Yahya AJJ Jammeh to help them expand their business by providing a factory where they can process their product easily. She also called on government, NGOs and other institutions to assist them with funds.

She thanked her husband for supporting her financially, and being her personal adviser in business.