The garden, established by the FAO – The Gambia, has been fenced thanks to the support of the FAO and its partners. However, the women still face challenges due to the perishable nature of the vegetables they grow.
Sarjodinding Manneh a member of the Garden Development Committee, emphasised the need to have a good storage facility as they live far from the capital and do struggle to transport their vegetables to the market in Kombos (urban centres).
According to her, they sometimes face a lot of challenges and a lack of transportation often leads to spoilage.
Awa Jallow, another gardener said that “our livelihood depends on this place. It's where we feed our families, pay our kids' school fees, and meet other needs.”
“We are all willing to work hard, but the problem lies in reaching the market and selling our products. We're appealing to everyone for help and a solution to this problem. As poor farmers, if our garden products are not sold at the end of the season, it will greatly affect us, especially those of us who don't have assistance elsewhere.”
Kaddy Marr also expressed that they need help in terms of transportation, storage facility, and more taps. The distance between taps is too far, causing them to reduce the number of beds. “If the distance between taps is closer, it would give us chance to work better in the garden.”
They're both asking for assistance with more taps to increase their farm production. The village is now appealing for a mobility and a reliable business partner to help them market their products and prevent further spoilage.
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