Gam-Diaspora clean-up day: A multi-stakeholder partnership

The NGO is driven by a shared institutional mission to build resilient communities by reducing public risks and vulnerabilities to environmental pollutions, climate change hazards, and extreme weather events, frequently leading to catastrophic disasters across the country.

Thousands of volunteers including Gambians, tourists, and non-Gambians are expected to participate in this national volunteer-based initiative by cleaning up trashes and garbage in the streets and gutters along the Mamadi-Manjang Highway starting from the Westfield to Jimpex.

The involvement of Diaspora-based Gambian brothers and sisters currently on holiday also makes the event quite affectionate.

One of the organisation’s prospective volunteers based in the United States and presently on a holiday in The Gambia stated; “I can’t wait to burn some calories and become parts of the solution to a waste-free Kanifing municipality.”

Mr. Dawda Cham, national project coordinator, opined that the event is not just about civil duties and moral obligations.

“We owe to our country as patriotic citizens, but the event will also create a platform for sharing innovative ideas among volunteers.”

Another HELP-Gambia volunteer added, “the gravity of networking during this exercise can strengthen social cohesion and promote inter personal friendships and professional relationships. It’s a common doctrine that government alone can’t fix all societal problems.”

Dr. Nfamara K. Dampha, executive directive of the NGO, believes they should take an action-oriented approach with the shared understanding that a multi-stakeholder partnership will yield the sustainable path to maintaining clean neighborhoods, preventing the indiscriminate littering in the streets and avoiding the dumping of waste into the ocean which adversely affects the marine ecosystem.

“It’s evident that our development philosophy is all-inclusive. Therefore, we can’t promulgate the desired institutional and behavioral changes to promote and maintain a waste-free environment without all stakeholders’ participation.”

“Thus, we kindly request for institutional involvement and support from His Excellency, President Barrow, Cabinet Ministers, Heads of central and local government institutions, Directors of private-sector agencies, leaders of civil society organizations, visiting tourists, Gambian-Diaspora holidaymakers, student organisations and our bilateral and diplomatic community.”