Built for The Gambia, by people who live here.
Afrimmak is a community-rooted effort to give young Gambians practical skills, real mentorship, and a genuine shot at the futures they want. We don't believe in handouts — we believe in investment.
Equip young Gambians with practical skills, mentorship, and real pathways to economic opportunity — through a competition that is free to enter, locally grounded, and honest about what it delivers.
A Gambia where young people have the skills, the support, and the confidence to lead thriving, self-determined lives — and where that outcome is the norm, not the exception.
What we're up against.
Youth unemployment in The Gambia is high — not because young people lack ambition, but because the path from ambition to income is blocked by a shortage of accessible skills training and meaningful mentorship.
Formal education often doesn't match what the economy needs, and the networks to translate learning into work are unevenly distributed. Afrimmak exists to close that gap — one cohort at a time.
How we started.
Afrimmak began with a simple observation: the young people around us had more drive than opportunity. The skills and mentorship they needed existed — just not in a form that was accessible to them.
So we decided to build it, under the umbrella of the Mendez Impact Foundation. The numbers on this site are placeholders — because we'd rather build something real slowly than inflate something fake quickly.
What we hold to.
Integrity
We say what we do and we do what we say. No inflated numbers, no fake testimonials.
Community first
We build with the people we serve, not for them. The competition is shaped by what young people tell us they need.
Built with youth
Young people are participants in Afrimmak, not just beneficiaries. Their voices shape our direction.
The Gambia first
Our context, our constraints, our opportunity. We do not import solutions and expect them to fit.
Ida Mendy
Placeholder — Ida's background, what drove her to start Afrimmak, and what she believes about youth potential in The Gambia. 100–150 words, in her voice.
Second paragraph: what she's building toward, and why the Mendez Impact Foundation is the right home for this work.
The people behind Afrimmak.
Oversees day-to-day management of Afrimmak.
Manages Afrimmak's budgeting, funds, and financial reporting.
Leads planning and implementation of all Afrimmak programs.
Creates Afrimmak's visual identity, brand, and design materials.
Responsible for all official Afrimmak communications.
Manages Afrimmak's digital systems and technical infrastructure.
Supports technical operations and data management.
Plus a growing team of school-based volunteers across The Gambia.
A project of the Mendez Impact Foundation
Afrimmak operates under the Mendez Impact Foundation — providing governance, fiduciary oversight, and shared infrastructure so every donation and every cycle of the competition is properly accounted for.