The project is being funded by FAO Forest and Farm Facility Initiative Small Grant support. However, All Gambia Forestry Platform (AGFP) as the Apex body for Community Forest Managers, Joint Forest Park Management Committees, Forest CBOs and Forest User Groups in the Gambia, is designed to enhance the entrepreneurship skills of the target beneficiaries for improved livelihood and income generation from Non-Wood Forest Products for sustainable management of forest resources.
At the opening ceremony, Mr. Ebrima Camara, Coordinator of All Gambia Forestry Platform, gave an overview of the project and the training.
Camara revealed that the project has established four Interest Groups on various Non-Wood Forest Products and this particular training was targeting the Beekeeping Interest Group of 25 members, 95% of which are women and youths.
The training, he added, would help enhance their skills and knowledge in Beekeeping Practice and Value addition on honey by-products.
In his welcoming address, Mr. Simon Sarj, Forest Officer for Kafuta Administrative Circle, underscored the importance of the training towards sustainable forest management.
He emphasized the importance of livelihood development initiatives in Sustainable Forest Management as dependent on wood products degrades the forest cover.
He used the platform to encourage participants to be ready to educate their colleagues in Community Forestry programme, so as to assist government in enforcing the forest laws in order to protect the forest for the present and future generations.
He also thanked AGFP in complementing the efforts of Forestry Department as Forestry Department cannot do it alone.
Speaking on behalf of FAO, Mr. Kanimang Camara, Country Facilitator for Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), reminded that the support for this project came through competitive process of which six Producer Organizations were selected by the selection committee.
He expressed delight that there is high participation of women and female youths in this training and urged the participants to utilize the knowledge and skills to improve their livelihoods.
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