The facility was recently constructed by REFELA in partnership with their counterpart – Mina Bouhdoud, the mayor of Lagfifat, Morocco.
The facility accommodates hundreds of vendors. If expanded, it will help alleviate the difficulties faced by women vendors, particularly during the rainy season when stagnant water and leakages become a problem.
The Better Life Project, which was funded by the Kingdom of Morocco, aims at strengthening South-South Cooperation. Under Moroccan law, local authorities are allowed to enter into partnership agreements with foreign local authorities within the limits of their competences and in compliance with Morocco’s international commitments.
The objective of the market project is to provide female vendors shelter in the Albert Market in order for them to have a decent place to carry out their economic activities.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the mayor of Banjul, Rohey Malick Lowe thanked Hon. Mina Bouhdoud, the mayor of Lagfifat and her team, the head of the Morocco Mission to The Gambia, the representative from the Ministry of the Interior of Morocco, the representative from the African Support Fund for International Decentralized Cooperation, Dr Zarrouk and Dr Juliet Sale of the UCLG Africa.
She also thanked the King of Morocco, His Majesty King Mohammed VI for his generosity towards his brothers and sisters of Africa through this funding.
Mayor Lowe called on the women in the city to be patient with her leadership as more projects are in the offing.
Mayor Bouhdoud, speaking in Arabic, expressed her excitement over the partnership and commended Mayor Lowe's dedication towards empowering women, which she says aligns with the vision of the Moroccan government.
Dr. Najat Zarrouk, the founder of REFELA, and Ahmed Belhadj, the Moroccan ambassador to The Gambia, both praised the cooperation between the two countries and emphasised the importance of strengthening the relationship.
