Halal Startup Support: Empowering Entrepreneurs in Senegal and The Gambia
Published by Compassion Fund • Halalan Tayyiban Holding, New York
West Africa is home to one of the most dynamic Muslim entrepreneurial communities in the world. Yet access to halal (interest-free) financing remains the biggest barrier preventing talented entrepreneurs in Senegal and The Gambia from building the businesses they dream of.
The Compassion Fund’s Halal Startup Support Programme, founded by Sheikh Musa Drammeh — Co-founder and Chair of Halalan Tayyiban Holding and a prominent Muslim leader in the Bronx, New York — brings interest-free funding and mentorship directly to entrepreneurs in Dakar, Banjul, and surrounding communities.
What the Programme Offers
- Interest-free startup grants for halal businesses in food, agriculture, trade, and services
- Business mentorship from successful Muslim entrepreneurs in the US and Africa
- Market access support connecting West African entrepreneurs with diaspora networks
- Women-led business grants with dedicated funding streams for female entrepreneurs
Expected Programme Impact
- 38 businesses to be funded across Senegal and The Gambia in 2026
- 210+ jobs to be created in local communities
- Zero interest on all funding — 100% shariah-compliant
- 60% of recipients shall be women-led businesses
“I received funding to expand my tailoring workshop in Serrekunda. Now I employ four other women from my neighbourhood. This programme changed not just my life — but my whole street.”
— Fatou, Serrekunda, The Gambia
Apply or Support the Programme
If you are a halal entrepreneur in Senegal or The Gambia, or if you want to support the next generation of West African Muslim business owners, we want to hear from you.
Donations from the Muslim diaspora in New York and across the Americas directly fund these grants — every dollar you give stays interest-free and reaches a deserving entrepreneur.
