NCAC organises workshops on community empowerment skills at Juffureh

The workshop was organised by the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and funded by UNESCO World Heritage Fund, as part of community empowerment strategies for the two communities.

Those communities host some of the most well-known heritage sites in The Gambia, namely Kunta Kinteh Island (James Island) and its related sites, which were inscribed onto the UNESCO world heritage list in 2003.

The workshop was in two fold, the first was on use of recycled materials to sew and crochet products, attended by 20 women from the two villages; while the other workshop targeted 20 tourist guides operating in Juffureh and Albreda historical complex.

The women were trained on how to turn everyday waste materials, like plastic bags, into beautiful and useable products like purses, handbags and carriers, which could be sold for income.The tour guides were taken through important issues in guiding like customer care, risk management and the history of the sites to enable them give interesting and factual explanations to visitors under safe and secure environment.

The workshops formed parts of the NCAC’s strategies to empower communities hosting heritage sites to encourage them participate in the management and care of the sites in their communities.

The workshops are a prelude to the activities towards revising the Management Plans for the Kunta Kinteh Island and related sites.