Speaking at the meeting, the chairman of Mbolo Association, Mr Malang Sambou Manneh, said the association is a non-profit organisation based in The Gambia and it strongly advocates for alleviating poverty whilst protecting the environment and promoting gender equality.
Adding that Fandema is Mbolo Association flagship’s project located in Tujereng which brings together about 95 young people (drop-outs) and vulnerable women 85% of them are under 30 years old from 15 rural villages mostly in West Coast Region.
To him, the project addresses one of the government top priorities; to enhance women’s livelihoods by strengthening their productive capacities and abilities through training in entrepreneurship whilst powering their professional activities with renewable energy.
According to him, the project sets up individual social-professional itineraries to offset the obstacles faced by each woman, break the poverty cycle and empower them with enough resources to build a better future.
The formula is based on four pillars namely: enhance literacy and numeracy skills, provide technical know-how through quality professional trainee-centred learning, increase knowledge of issues to eradicate poverty and develop business sense and nurture entrepreneurial activities with access to microcredit loans.
For his part, Lord Mayor FERRAN PUIG from Bacelona said The Gambia and Bacelona have a lot of things in common, adding that the two countries are the same, it is just because of the distance (5,000 km) in between.
He commended their Gambian counterparts for the warm welcome and also shows them the rich culture in The Gambia. He assured them that they are here to listen and to hear from the partners on how projects are being implemented and if they see the need to fund more projects or not.
JOSEP MARIA FISA BOSCH Chairman of SOLIDANSA expressed happiness for the warm welcome and the friendly environment he found himself.
“I am happy to be here to see a lot of positive changes have taken place from the last time visited the place thanks to the two couple (Malang & Silvia),” he said.
He added that the couple has been very fruitful because they have many children not only their 3 biological children but also the women and youth who pass through their hands successfully.
ARIEL MONELLS of Fons Catala Cooperacio al Desenvolupament (FCCD) commended and thanked Malang and Silvia for their hard work, while expressing his impress with the level of development and improvement for the association.
Dodou
S. Gaye, master of ceremony, urged his fellow Gambians to make best of the
opportunity to ensure that they engage the donors to the fullest to ensure that
more funding is acquire to support the poor and vulnerable.
