The project titled: “Building Climate Resilience through Sustainable Biodegradable Waste Management in Kanifing Municipality” aims to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste that gets disposed off at the Bakoteh dumpsite and help women transform them into soil conditioners.
It could be recalled that KMC in partnership with Waste Aid and Women’s Initiative the Gambia recently received a 100,000 Euro grant from the European Union (EU). The grant aims to increase climate resilience by educating vendors to be separating food waste in public markets, while transferring the organic waste to women’s gardens in two pilot locations in Kanifing for 12 months.
Women gardeners have been trained to turn the organic products into useful materials that could reduce climate emissions as well as build climate resilience.
The funds are acquired from the Global Climate Change Alliance plus Initiative (GCCA+) which is funded by the European Union to deliver a climate resilient coastal and marine zone project for The Gambia.
The KETP aims to use a sustainable focus on new integrated waste management approaches to drive environmental, social and economic transformation in Kanifing.
Ingrid Henrys, Project Coordinator for Waste Aid said 30 women gardeners have benefited from the project, adding that they have been trained on how to make compost and biodegradables.
“This project was a one year pilot project but it has brought a lot of opportunities in The Gambia, particularly in KM. People have really seen the value of ‘what people call waste’ and is not waste as you can value it,” she said.
She said over 70 women at Abuko and Old Jeshwang markets have been sensitized on how to properly manage their waste and added that most of them are now separating their organic waste to be transferred to gardens.
She expressed optimism that the project will be sustained while commending all Waste Aid partners in the course of the pilot project.
Talib Ahmed Bensuda, Mayor for Kanifing Municipal Council said the project has effectively produced de-compost for the targeted individuals and now women are feeling the benefits.
He assured that KMC would use its agricultural budgets to provide machineries to women gardeners to ease their work as well as enable them to produce more products.
“Today we are pleased to receive compost and biodegradables that were made from this waste management project,” he said, noting that his office attaches great significant to the project sustainability.
He commended Waste Aid and it partners for smoothly implementing the project and EU for funding it.
Representing the EU Ambassador to The Gambia, Luca Palazzotto thanked KMC and KETP for demonstrating high commitment towards the waste management project. He said environmental sanitation is a central part of EU vision for the municipality and assured of EU continuous support to KM.
Isatou Ceesay, a gardener who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries commended Waste Aid and all its development partners for training them on compost making as well as biodegradables.
