By Yunus S Saliu
As part of the activities marking the 20th anniversary of the City Link Ostend Banjul partnership, the Mayor of Ostend City Council, his deputy, and other senior officials of the council and from Banjul City Council were on Wednesday taken on a conducted tour of Banjul City with a visit to some of the project sites in the city.
On a brief chat with members of the press during the tour, the Deputy Mayor of Ostend City Council, Silke Bierens applauded the Banjul City Council and the project team for a job well done.
She said, that after their last visit in 2022, it was interesting to see that the planted trees were growing and well taken care of.
Interestingly, she said she had noted that both the gardeners and everybody involved in the project are very much aware of the objective of planting trees on the beach.
Noting that the planted trees are “not only for sea level rise and to protect the beach and the city but we can also gain income from it. So once the coconuts have been growing, you can take the coconuts out and you can have juice from it, too.”
More so, she has noticed that for two years, it is interesting that lots of Banjulians are involved in the project and are very much aware of the goal, and objective and take it as the task of everybody to protect the environment and the city.
Notwithstanding, she still encouraged the project team and Banjulians to keep an eye on it cause not all of them might survive and so they have to plant a lot to see those that will survive while some can also replant in other places. Adding that the shad can make more people stay at the beach, meet families, tourists visit and children have a place to play with their mates “because of the shades created by the coconuts, so we should maintain it.”
Deputy Mayor of Banjul Aziz Dabakh Gaye, who had led the tour once again welcomed the Lord Mayor of Ostend City Council and his delegation to the city of Banjul while thanking them for taking their time to go around the city, the capital of The Gambia.
For sustainability, he said more security will be put in place to protect the trees.
In addition, he said hopefully in the years to come with this partnership and with brilliant ideas coming on board, they can make the Banjul beach most visited among all of the beaches in the Gambia.
He alluded to previous speakers and commended the Ostend relationship with Banjul and also the EU for sponsoring the project.
Lord Mayor Bart Tommelein of Ostend City Council shared a similar sentiment with the Banjul Deputy Mayor on the issue of attracting more tourists to the capital city of Banjul through the promotion of tourism in the city.
Mbogouma Ismelia Jeng, Field Supervisor for the City Link Project gave an update and elaborated on the challenges of the project.