By Adama Nyang
Community Strengthening through Green Economy and Education (CSGEE), on Monday, planted about 200 trees at the Bakoteh Dumpsite.
CSGEE is an SOS project funded by the German Federation for Economy Development, Hermann Gmeiner, and implemented by SOS Village together with the communities of Bakoteh, Dippakunda, and Manjaikunda.
Speaking at the planting exercise, the Project Coordinator of CSGEE, Sarjo Touray said they planned to plant about 500 trees to be done in two phases.
He noted that the first phase targeted the dumping site, where they planted 200 trees along the perimeter fence of the dumping site.
Mr. Touray explained the reason behind the initiative saying it is to reduce hazardous material that comes from the smoke generated from the dumping site as the trees can serve as breakers to help in preventing climate change.
“We are turning this place to be a green incubating center for compass making and floriculture because we want people to see this place as a business avenue, not a hazardous area,” the Project Coordinator.
Chairman of the Family Welfare Committee, Abdou Jobe, explained that the Family Welfare Committee is a committee under the SOS Village project, which is there to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds who make their daily earnings from materials picked from the site to sell.
“This project discourages giving grants to families to start businesses to help themselves. The trees planted will also help the environment and reduce the hazardous material and smoke that comes out from there.”
Akalo of Bakoteh, Tijan Jassey expressed gratitude saying the project has a lot of benefits to the community of Bakoteh and its surroundings. “These trees planted here will have a great impact in reducing the negative impact of the dump site,” he added.
Mariama Mendy, a resident of Dippakunda said the tree planting has a lot of significance in their surroundings hence the negative effects of the dump site are unbearable.
“Years back, a lot of children around the area caught some diseases from the smoke that came out of the site. So this project will have a great impact by reducing the amount of smoke from the site. We are grateful to the people behind this project as a lot of people in the community have benefited from the project by helping children around,” Madam Mendy expressed appreciation.