The National Women Farmers Association (NAWFA) and the Female Lawyers Association of The Gambia (FLAG) Friday received two vehicles from ActionAid International The Gambia (AAITG).
NAWFA and FLAG are both partners of Action Aid under the project called Promoting women’s socio-economic rights in Niamina East, Niamina West and Niamina Dankunku Districts being funded by the European Union.
The two vehicles (double cabin pick-ups) would help ease mobility problems in the implementation of project activities.
At the handing over ceremony, the Executive Director of Action Aid, Omar Badjie highlighted the importance of the project to empower women in the Central River and North Bank Regions and to lift them out of poverty.
The need for implementing partners like NAWFA and FLAG to have their own vehicles cannot therefore be over-emphasised.
“For most of the time, the partners come to Action Aid for a vehicle to visit project sites. We hope that the vehicles being presented will help ease their transport constraints,” Omar Badjie said.
He urged both partners to give priority to the needs of the project in the use of the vehicles.
In response, the Executive Director of NAWFA, Njaga Jawo stated that the project had helped to strengthen the long standing relationship between NAWFA and Action Aid.
He expressed his gratitude to Action Aid and the European Union, noting that providing a vehicle is as crucial as providing other resources for the project.
Neneh Cham, FLAG’s President expressed her delight at the provision of what she called ‘‘the first vehicle that FLAG will ever own.
“We needed the legs to get to project sites and this vehicle will help ease our transport problems in implementing the project,” she said.
She gave the assurance that the vehicle would be put to good use and would be properly taken care of.
The keys to the vehicle were handed over by the visiting International Director for Country Coordination, Cardinal Uwishaka and Inez Hariedy, the EU Political Information officer from the European Union office in The Gambia.
Pansaw Nyassi, the Project Coordinator chaired the ceremony.
Promoting women’s socio-economic rights project would run for three years.
It aims to contribute to gender equity in The Gambia by promoting women’s access to socio-economic rights and economic empowerment in the Niamina West, East and Niamina Dankunku districts in the Central River Region.
It directly targets rural women, traditional and national leaders, media houses, civil society organisations, micro-finance institutions, relevant government ministries and departments.
