Degree project in Business Economics, School of Business and Economics at Linnaeus University, Bachelor thesis Course 2EB00E, spring 2011

Authors: Joakim Söderling 860920, Oscar Carlsson 861021

Supervisor: Michaela Sandell

Examiner: Richard Nakamura

Title: Aid through trade – An ethnographical minor field study in the Gambia

Background: Since Sweden’s fund giving started the overall aim has been to raise people’s living conditions in poorer countries. By having this goal Sweden’s fund giving has changed over the last 50 years during four different eras; Trickle Down, Social Satisfier, Economical Reforms and Governance. Lately, however, criticism regarding whether aid is contributing or not to a less developed country has arisen with questions such as that aid are designed by the fund givers and lack of fieldworkers.

Gambia is a development country situated in the poorest area of the poorest continent. The Gambia’s general annual salary is 12,000 Dalasi (3,000 SEC) and poverty is widespread. Entrepreneurship has, however, been noticed as a key-factor for the people and the country’s development.

Research question: How should aid for entrepreneurship be designed to promote development in the Gambia?

Purpose: To retell the Gambian point of view regarding aid and what type of aid for entrepreneurship that is promoting domestic development in the Gambia.

Delimitations: We have chosen to sort out fund organizations of social nature, such as schools and healthcare organizations. We have also delimitated out study to micro-level.

Method: We have implemented a qualitative abductive micro-ethnographical field study in which we took the open role as participants as observers. The thesis’ selections are based upon snowball effect and convenience sampling.

Conclusions: Aid should be given to women up-country, privately and openly, in the form of material and within a cooperation between fund giver and fund taker. We have also created a model as a recommendation made from our experiences of the Gambian people.

Keywords: The Gambia, aid, funds, entrepreneurship, ethnography, development.