Supporters of the APRC based in the United States of America were the latest to join the crusade in supporting President Jammeh’s Vision 2016 to achieve food self-sufficiency in the country.
The US-based Gambians, in collaboration with the Miami Brothers and Wives Association of Kitty formed 20 years ago, last Friday inaugurated the clearing of a mighty farm land in kitty village as part of preparations for the forthcoming rainy season.
The initiative and move, spearheaded by Gambians based in the USA, was led by Ambassador Sheikh Omar Faye and the welfare officer of Pierre Minteh to respond to the clarion call of the Gambian leader of going back to the land and feeding ourselves as well as to actualize Vision 2016.
Speaking shortly after the clearing exercise the coordinator of the USA-based project, Abdoulie Bah, said the project was set up and nurtured by US-based Gambians in support of APRC and President Jammeh’s Vision 2016 food self-sufficiency programme.
Mr Bah said the project was undertaken in collaboration with Miami Brothers and Wives Association of Kitty, which is an organization set up by the community of Kitty village to support the growth and development of agriculture in the country.
He thanked Ambassador Sheikh Omar Faye and Pierre Minteh who are behind the initiative.
Mr Bah said they need to support the President’s call of going back to the land; hence they also need to do that through financial support.
“Agriculture cannot be sustainable if the finance is not on the table; as result of this, Gambians in the USA found it necessary to form an association to support their homeland to feed itself by actualizing Vision 2016,” said Mr Bah.
Their intervention in Kitty is just the beginning, he said, promising they would expand their activities across regions of the country to support all the farmers in making the country food self-sufficient.
He said there are already mechanisms put in place through which they are going to provide all the necessary means of farm inputs that can actualize the Vision 2016.
He then challenged other Gambians living in the diaspora to emulate “this good gesture to render help” in their homeland.
For his part, Honourable Seedy Njie, Nominated Member of the National Assembly, thanked the APRC US-based Gambians in support of the APRC for coming back to their homeland to serve.
He also expressed gratitude to Ambassador Sheikh Omar Faye and Pierre Minteh for their patriotism and love for The Gambia.
“This is part of supporting and contributing to the Gambian leader’s clarion call to go back to the land and ‘grow what we eat as well as eat what we growth’,” Hon. Njie said.
He also seized the opportunity to thank Kitty village for accepting the partnership to support the country to feed itself.
The Alkalo of Kitty village, Bolong Bojang, thanked the APRC USA-based supporters for considering their homeland, as well as for choosing Kitty as their first intervention area.
He also challenged his village community to take up the lead, and assured the APRC USA-based Gambians that their “choice for Kitty is not a mistake”, promising that they would make the best use of the project to render support in The Gambia’s food sector.
