This week, the mistress of the Observer Women’s weekly column deems it necessary to introduce yet another dynamic, visionary and exemplary woman in the country who is immensely contributing to the socio-economic development of the country. This is no other exemplary women than Aunty Haddy John, a veteran food processor, born in 1942 in Primet Street, Banjul who specialised in producing agro food products for over four decades for consumption and export.

She attended Girls High School in Banjul from 1947 to 1954 and Wesley High School. She later proceeded to the School of Nursing in Banjul before being employed at the RVH.

In a chat with Women’s weekly, Aunty Haddy, who’s dream is to open a factory for processing commodities in the country called on government to assist the women who engaged themselves in producing agro food products in The Gambia.

According to her, she started business in 1967 by selling fish-balls, debe-meat in sticks, coconut cakes, ice and groundnut cakes, which she sold at Sir Dawda Primary School. She added that in 1969, she extended her business in her husband’s shop at 41 Allen Street in Banjul, were she increase her food stuffs with coconut cakes, fish and chips and chicken gravy. “In 1993, I joined the Association of Gambia Entrepreneurs (AGE) which helped me to improve my skills and knowledge in handling her small scale business” she said.

Aunty Haddy further stated that she was very opportune to attend a trainee course for 2 weeks at Wellingara, on behalf of AGE and the training was on cereals products, noting that they were brainstormed on how to use various type of cereals to make corn and millet in flour, coos -coos, rice and winning food for children.

“Thanks to the help of the association, I am now an entrepreneur of AGE, Food and Nutrition Unit (FNU) for many country”. she said

Training of trainers at Yundum, she said, increased her knowledge in using the various ways of making corn to sorghum. This she said, included flour and coarse grains of the corn plus sorghum. She added that, in the training, she also learnt how to cook them in different dishes such as foo-foo and soup, pan-cake and doughnuts, neleng, benachin, mbahal and chakri and also packing them, distribute it for sales at various

supermarkets. “Through this training, I was also privilege to gain knowledge of how to make various dishes which greatly assist me in meeting my family needs” she said.

In order to diversify, she also processes the corn and sorghum and packed them to the supermarket for sale. “I now have all these skills but my main constrain is financial support as I need capital to buy the necessary equipment to expand my business. I am therefore to appealing to government, NGOs, and other institutions to assist me to reach my vision and to achieve my goals.