GEAPP wraps up refreshers training for NGO partners

The Gambia Emergency Agricultural Production Project (GEAP) recently concluded daylong re-orientation training for officials from ten NGOs in the country.

The refresher training was meant to sensitize participants on the GEAPP visibility as partners in development.

The forum, which brought together about sixty participants, was held at St. Charles Hall in Piccadilly.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the deputy project coordinator of GEAPP, Yassin Khan Jallow, thanked the participants for responding to their invitation.

She stressed that the purpose of the forum was to share ideas on the GEAPP visibility as the project is at its end tail. 

Madam Khan went on to give an overview of the GEAPP, saying the GEAPP came to being as an assessment carried out by the European Commission, the World Food Programme and the Gambia Government to address the food crisis in 2008.

She added that the European Commission through the World Bank, the International Development Association, provided the Gambia government with a grant to implement a project to address food shortage in The Gambia.

According to her, the project focuses on increasing cereal, millet and rice production in the ten districts identified as the most vulnerable in the country.

Lamin Fadera, programme coordinator, said the success the GEAPP came through the successful implementation of the Gambia Emergency Locus Project (AELP) project.

He said that his NGO has been working very closely with the GEAPP for the realization of food self-sufficiency in the country.

He said with the GEAPP, his NGO has benefited a lot from capacity building on data collection, office equipment and other training.

Bakary Jagne, programme officer of NACOFAG, said it was just recently his office started working with the GEAPP but the project had helped them in so many areas, particularly on data collection.

Alieu Sanyang from Women and Children Association for Hygiene and Nutrition, said: “This is an organization that is created to look at issues and problems that affect women and children in terms of hygiene and nutrition.”

The organization has many activities to that effect, he said, while thanking the GEAPP.

He then thanked the management of the GEAPP for organizing the visibility refresher training for NGOs he said are key to the socio-economic development of the country.