By: HARUNA KUYATEH
Gambia Future Now has handed over 500,000 dalasis to 20 women Kafos to help promote women empowerment drive through strengthens their capacity in poultry breeding to enhance income and contribute to poverty reduction, held at Governor’s Office in Kerewan in North Bank Region.
The agency over weekend started poultry scheme with the women group of Farato of Sabach Sanjal in the North Bank Region. Based on the outcome and success story registered with a single group in Farato, they were able to leverage other women group with 150 Birds.
The objective of the scheme is to support women group under the Gambia Chicken Farmers Association project to value diversification in to food production cycle.
The Country Coordinator of Gambia Future Now, Ousman Bah, former National Assembly Member for Sabach Sanjal noted the project is part of the association dream of working with Gambia Chicken Farmers Association at community level, to enhance income and create alternative economic activities to address households need.
“Gambia Future Now in the past trained Rural Area Mechanics and provided them tool boxes and motorcycles to reach out to communities to repair hand pump at free to the communities to enable them have access to clean and portable drinking water. The intervention by the agency in water sector has empowered Area Mechanics to have quality materials and tools to rendered quality services and by extension make water supply available to the population,” he said.
He reiterated that the poultry scheme was designed to strengthen capacity of groups and promote the use of revolving fund to support other women kafos within the village or nearby to replicate the scheme.
The presentation was witnessed by representative of NGO Affairs, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare. The agency will train women on use of organic manure using droppings or waste of poultry birds.
For his part Governor Lamin Saidykhan thanks Gambia Future Now for their immense contribution to improving lives and livelihood development of women, noting that the support to poultry farmers association would contribute to supplement household food and nutrition security.
He commended government commitment in creating conducive environment for NGOs to complement government efforts in diversifying economic opportunities.
Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries Ramata Cham of Farafenni Jikimar said the support will help women kafos to intensify poultry breeding and enhance capacity of Gambia Chicken Farmers Association to sustain ongoing activities to transform lives and livelihoods.
Buya Bah of Farato in Sabach Sanjal shared success story on the poultry breeding and it impact on women kafo, citing creating mutual understanding, promote share responsibility e.g. feeding, cleanings of poultry house, marketing, replenishment of birds, enhance regular meetings and dissemination of expenses and profit margin.
She thanked the donor for the support as women have diversified in to poultry breeding and supports other groups to start their own project
