Concern Universal organized the programmes in partnership with the Agency for Village Support (AVISU) under the project “Promotion of women equity of access to economic resources through marketing federation.”
The sensitization programmes were held in the communities of Lower Fulladu West district in the villages of Fullabantang, Taifa, Jahaly, Nmadina Fally, Brikamaba, Sukurr, Dasilameh and Tabanani.
In the Upper Fulladu West district, the villages included Dobong kunda, Mabally koto and kuta, Nyamen Kunda, Kerewan Dumbo kuno, Galleh Manda and Daru.
In an interview with Musa Saho, the programme coordinator, he said the overall objective was to establish a marketing federation, and members would be selected from trained horticultural women kafos within Central River Region South.
He spoke at length on the importance of the project, adding that the project has a two-year lifespan to be implemented in Central River Region North and South.
Saho said the lead implementers are the Women’s Initiative The Gambia and the Agency for Village Support, and it is funded by the European Union.
He added that the project was meant to empower kafos engaged in horticultural production, thus create market linkages, group formation, organizational management, develop action plans, record keeping and product pricing.
Mr Saho further stated that as part of AVISU co-funding of the project activities, a new project was secured from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) aimed at training women kafos on democratic and women’s participation in decision-making and local governance, including women leadership, entrepreneurship, advocacy and women’s rights in agricultural and marketing federation.
Every particular women’s kafo targets 50 participants, and these were selected from the identified 40 women kafos from Central River Region South, he said.
Nfally Kongira, lead trainer, stated that the sensitization activity took the form of interaction, group discussions and community outreaches; and some of the key topics dealt with included group assessment and strengthening, establishment and management of the marketing federation, among others.
