Gambia Environmental and Community Development Project
Providing a vegetable garden and orchard for women cultivators with a reliable water supply as part of an on-going environmental and community development project in the Gunjur Kombo South District, West Coast Region, The Gambia. The borehole and the well water supply will also help the community with a tree nursery for the annual tree planting exercises and agroforestry. In the next few years there will be more fruit trees in the orchard such as mangoes, pears, avocado, and oranges.
A New Vegetable Garden and Orchard for the Community
GEPADG (CHEC Gambia) has carried out an annual large-scale beach cleaning and tree planting exercise, including the planting of mangrove seedlings at the Gunjur beach. This was in conjunction with the Gunjur senior secondary school in partnership with the local environmental organisations, the local community including all the necessary stakeholders from other parts of the country particularly in the west coast region. The current annual tree planting exercise will run until end of August 2023.
The goal was to provide a secure and safe source of food and income for local women. A 10,000 square metre vegetable and orchard garden was fenced, cleaned and cleared. A well digger was contracted to dig and build a borehole for the women vegetable gardeners. Various types of tree seedlings have been acquired with a few to providing seedlings for the annual tree planting exercises. There is continuous monitoring and evaluation with other project activities and ecotourism services.
A new traditional local well at the GEPADG/CHEC office at the Bolongfenyo community wildlife reserve is completed with enough water. This well supplies drinking water and irrigation water for trees and birds and our ecotourism Services.
A new traditional local well at the GEPADG/CHEC office at the Bolongfenyo community wildlife reserve is completed with enough water. This well supplies drinking water and irrigation water for trees and birds and our Ecotourism Services.
Project Outcomes
The project has addressed significant social, cultural, environmental and economic issues and thus greatly helped the local community.
This project has enabled the maintenance of local cultural practices the women traditionally work at the vegetable gardens and the rice fields with traditional songs and dancing. They organize cultural activities such as drumming and fundraising Kora shows. This project has enabled the maintenance of such cultures at the GEPADG women vegetable garden.
Socially, the women make some daily contributions, locally called (Susuwo) that they pay to each other every month through balloting. This creates a lot of social interaction for them. They organise cultural activities such events during the time of harvesting. This is an ongoing activity.
The project has enhanced and is bringing about attitudinal changes towards the environment; sustainable use practices; the reintroduction lost species; more trees leading to a clean and healthy environment.
Economically, the project is helping women to achieve a sustainable income from their produce, enabling them to buy food, clothes and to pay their children’s school fees leading to possible food self-sufficiency. This creates better health with fewer health expenses. Their traditional ‘”Susuwo” daily contribution scheme also helps sustain their incomes.
Long-term Sustainability
The borehole and the well water supply are helping the development of an adequate tree nursery for the annual tree planting exercises and our agroforestry. In the next few years there will be more fruit trees, such as mangoes, pears, avocado, and oranges in the orchard.
GEPADG/CHEC Gambia aims to replicate this project elsewhere if funds become available.
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Gunjur Kombo South District, West Coast Region, The Gambia.
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November 2022 - June 2023
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Provide a vegetable garden and orchard for local women cultivators
Provide a reliable water supply for the new garden and orchard
Beach cleaning with tree planting, including mangrove seedlings at the Gunjur beach and the Gunjur Senior Secondary School. -
This project has enabled the maintenance of local cultural practices, as the local women work in the vegetable gardens and the rice fields with traditional songs and dancing.
The project has enhanced and is bringing about attitudinal changes towards the environment; sustainable use practices; the reintroduction lost species; more trees leading to a clean and healthy environment.
Read the Project Report here
