Badara Bajo
CHEC Gambia
The United Nations conference on the environment and development known as the earth summit held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 1992 launched the idea of sustainable development to governments and local communities. Agenda 21 emerged from this summit, inviting contracting parties to develop their own strategic plans by taking into consideration the sustainable development of the local communities, responding positively to world leader’s call for the smooth implementation of the proposed agenda, the Gunjur Environmental Protection And Development Group (GEPADG) A26NGO was founded in 1992 in the Gambia by Mr Badara N Bajo. The group realized that the only way to succeed with its aims and objectives was to ensure a wider community participation in natural resources management and conservation. The first ever national conference on the environment at community level in the Gambia was then organized in Gunjur village in February 1998 by GEPADG. After which Mr. Bajo became a Co-Founder of the Bolongfenyo community wildlife reserve, the first community wildlife reserve in the Gambia.
He worked with Marks and Spencer’s in the UK in 2003-2004 and worked with Trust house Forte Heritage Castle and Ball hotel in Marlborough, UK. In 1993 Mr. Badara Njie Bajo received his Postgraduate Diploma in development studies at the University of Birmingham and in 2002, a Diploma in Hotel management and travel and tourism at the Hotel travel and training colleges in London. After series of consultation and meetings with the Commonwealth Secretariat in London and with the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council CHEC founder the late Mrs. Zena Daysh, CNZM, Mr. Bajo formed CHEC-Gambia as the founder of CHEC-Gambia.
He was the field coordinator of a GEF/World Bank WWF three year funded national Integrated Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Management ICAM project from 2005-2008. Mr. Bajo is the leader and contact person of CHEC-Gambia, the Director of the Gunjur Environmental Protection And Development Group GEPADG, and the national focal point for ICCA consortium, a member of the West Africa fisheries, coastal marine forum PRCM. Mr. Badara N Bajo has been in conservation, community and sustainable development for decades has numerous valuable experiences. Mr. Bajo has travelled widely in Africa, Europe and USA. His work has attracted the former conservative Broxtowe MP in Nottingham, UK. Jim Lester MP invited him to attend the Prime Minister’s Question Time at the House of Commons in London in 1993.
In 2022, Badara was part of the CHEC delegate team that attended CHOGM in Kigali.