The Industries for Africa Foundation, a body set up to support African entrepreneurs and farmers in establishing enterprises which can provide safe and secure employment, is set to start operations in the country.

The Foundation is a creative and passionate organisation based in Sweden and New Zealand and focuses on supporting African industrial solutions to the poverty and famine affecting many of its people. It also supports the creation of industries which provides job and security on the African continent.

This reporter recently caught up with its chairperson, Andrea Lennberg, who said the Foundation was operating in only two African countries - Ethiopia and Senegal before coming to The Gambia. She disclosed that the Foundation will kick-start the implementation of projectsincluding electric motor and cotton projects in the country very soon.

Lennberg also indicated their intention to collaborate with the University of The Gambia (UTG) for the electric motor project. Her words: "We support the creation of enterprises adding value to natural and primary resources. We work with African individuals and governments, banks and educational institutes. We help to identify needs and opportunities and then we generate the business plans and provide one of ours to mentor the enterprise for as long as it takes.

"We believe iron ore should be exported or locally consumed and cotton should be exported or locally consumed in the form of finished textiles whether it is children's clothing or dressings for local hospitals. Food should be processed locally for local consumption - not re-imported."

For his part, Salifu Ablie Jallow, the Foundation's Gambia representative said the coming of the Foundation to The Gambia is very timely, underscoring that it will greatly help the country in its development drive."We will be having experts from Ethiopia when the cotton project kicks-off. They have vast experience when it comes to cotton production," he added.