By: Haruna Kuyateh
ROOTS project and ActionAid International The Gambia (AAITG) have inked a partnership to promote stakeholder consultation and campaigns for women’s access and control over productive land.
The synergy was held on Friday in Kerewan, North Bank Region.
The move is meant to contribute to food security, nutrition, and resilience of smallholder farmers and farmer organizations. The Regional consultation aimed to create awareness as women are principal food producers which attract beneficiary farmers from ROOTS intervention areas among others.
Fafa Cham, Head of Programmes and Policy at ActionAid International The Gambia described regional consultation on women and control over productive land to enhance production and productivity.
He said the partnership with ROOTS Project aimed to support the land’s rights campaigns and to solicit support from chiefs and alkalolu to promote women’s land rights campaigns.
Mr. Cham noted that the move formed ActionAid Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) to attain sustainable development.
Dembo Samateh, Deputy Governor of North Bank Region (NBR) underscored the government’s commitment to the women empowerment drive and said the consultation is timely and reiterated the need for district authorities and land owners to support.
The Deputy Governor assured them of the governor’s office’s continuous support and noted that the establishment of the multi-stakeholder platform in the district would help to create more awareness of the need to support land transfer to women for vegetable production and processing.
Omar Mendy Field Assistant Farmer Organization and Capacity Building at ROOTS Office in Kerewan, Sheikh Sowe alkalo of Maria and Samba Nyado of Central Badibou, Omar Sonko – Agric Officer at Regional Agricultural Office in Kerewan and Alpha Sey Monitoring and Evaluation at Njawara Agricultural Training Centre with Alasan Keita Director of Planning and Development at Kerewan Area Council all delivered a remarkable speech at the meeting.
Others who also delivered speeches there included FamaraManjang alkalo, and Fatou Darboe – a rice farmer of NuimiJurunku beneficiary of the ROOTS Project all applauded the project.
