Our Work
In the Gambia
Despite experiencing a period of societal progression, The Gambia remains exceptionally poor, with a fragile state and one of the highest per capita rates of youth migration from the country. This is significant because it means the country struggles to retain its most active working population.
Within The Gambia, agriculture remains critical to the livelihoods of the poor. However, in recent years, this vital source of production has become significantly more fragile, with seasons becoming less predictable and the rise of extreme weather events such as floods and droughts having disastrous impacts for these communities. With more than 75 per cent of the population reliant on growing their own food to survive, the impacts of these events can be catastrophic.
Full name: The Gambia
Capital: Banjul
Population: 2.5 million (World Bank, 2023)
Area: 10,689 SQ KM
Major languages: English (official language), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula and various other indigenous languages
Major religions: Predominantly Muslim with a small Christian population.
In response, we work with farmers within The Gambia to help improve the stability of their income and earn a decent living for themselves and their families. We help by:
- Improving farming practices
- Improving access to safe, clean water
- Encouraging access to new markets for fresh local produce
- Promoting farming as a business and helping them develop sustainable value chains
- Nurturing new initiatives such as the promotion of biofortified crops (crops which significantly improve the concentration of particular nutrients) and nutritional health change through a network of mothers’ clubs and promoting market price information services
United Purpose, which merged with Self Help Africa in 2021, pioneered the development of farmer-run rice irrigation and enabled people to have their voices heard by building the capacity of civil society and women’s federations.
We are now committed to working with a wide range of local partners to increase the nation’s resilience and capacity to respond to disasters, with the shared goal of lifting people out of poverty.
The Gambia projects
CREATE BETTER LIVELIHOODS FOR SUPPLY CHAIN EE’S
Objective: To improve living conditions of workers on the partner farms and their families by proposing actions in collaboration with the farms and worker voice committees through a needs assessment process to identify projects needed by communities and those that could have the most impact whilst fitting with Waitrose foundation’s objectives.
Self Help Africa is the implementation partner for Waitrose Foundation’s ‘Worker Voice’ activities at Radville Farm, one of its supplier farms in The Gambia, and we work with local NGO’ Le Partenariat’ to coordinate with the farms and help deliver activities for the local communities. The workers of the farms propose community projects in different sectors (health, education, WASH, environment) that are collectively agreed upon. Activities include: installation of solar powered street lighting in powered Tubakuta, Basori, Gidda Brikama and Manduar. Improvements have been made at Nemakunku school, as well as an ongoing school garden horticulture project, and an outdoor sports/playground has been constructed for use by the children. A member-based Revolving Fund at Radville will be launched, replacing an existing credit facility for permanent workers, to enable savings and loans for school fees, medical needs and emergencies by farm workers and their communities, managed by a representative Board and under the umbrella of the National Credit Union of Gambia.
250,000 beneficiaries
Water Point Rehabilitation Project (CO2 Balance)
Objective: The installation and rehabilitation of boreholes to provide safe water eliminates the need to boil water as a means of purification and therefore reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Installation, rehabilitation and maintenance of community water points (80 boreholes) across Gambia; these then produce Carbon credits which are sold through SHA’s partnership with C02 Balance to generate revenue.
40,000 beneficiaries
Market Information Systems (MIS)
Objective: To enable vegetable producers (particularly women) to have regular market price information, climate advisory data for improved planning, selling of vegetables leading to improved incomes for the farmers.
ROOTS MIS is a voice-based market price informants system that was implemented in 2018 and by which farmers within the private and public sector can call to know the latest prices for agricultural products that are available in the local and national markets. This new project has been expanded to enable vegetable producers (particularly women) to have regular market price information, climate advisory data for improved planning of planting crops, selling of vegetables leading to improved incomes for the farmers. It is available for use in various local languages.
6 regional Marketing Federations (each with a membership of 6,000- 8,000 people) so a total membership of approximately 42,000 people (principally women producers)
Global Response Fund
Objective: The aim of our project is to bring climate smart agriculture knowledge (CSA) to rural communities with information provided in local languages (e.g. Wolof, Mandinka), using a local custom-made digital platform.
Activities include the design and content of the climate-smart agriculture (CSA) digital resources and identifying suitable expertise for translation, visuals and dissemination of the resources to the target farming communities. A consultant will be recruited for this activity. The project will also purchase digital devices (smartphones, tablets) to which these tailored CSA resources will be downloaded and stored, as a practical way to consult the reference materials.
An additional activity involves training of young and women trainers on CSA techniques of agricultural production so they can train their local communities in CSA techniques to improve agricultural production.
90 young trainers to train 8,000 beneficiaries
INTEGRATED CLIMATE-ADAPTATION AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE-BUILDING
Objective: The general objective of the project is to improve the adaptive capacity of vulnerable rural and coastal populations in The Gambia through support to climate-resilient and diversified livelihoods and development of viable collaborative and integrated management approaches.
The project will:
Enhance food security and incomes of vulnerable women through sustainable oyster harvesting and processing, waste management and vegetable production a key target group due to the vulnerability of these livelihoods caused by climate change and the important role of women in management of mangrove ecosystems;
Enhance the conservation of coastal resources through mangrove restoration, which are essential for communities’ capabilities to adapt; and
Support coastal communities to develop community adaptation plans, thus building their understanding of climate change and their capacity to plan for and respond to it. “
12,000 direct beneficiaries
120,000 indirect beneficiaries
SCALING-UP ORGANIC FERTILISERS IN THE GAMBIA: ADVANCING NUTRITION, INNOVATION AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Objective: The proposed action will support the local production of organic fertilisers through the exploration of local resources in order to ease access and reduce costs. The increased organic fertiliser and compost use and production will impact on economic and environmental outcomes. It will also support agriculture and its modernisation to generate growth and employment.
The project will increase available knowledge on the best production practices of organic fertilisers and compost in The Gambia including a baseline survey carried out across several geographical regions. It will work with local stakeholders to test, develop and expand waste to organic fertiliser and compost (OFC) methods. A national network of demonstration farms will be created to host farmer-led trials focused on making locally produced organic fertilisers less expensive and more accessible to smallholder farmers. Finally, innovative new technologies and techniques will be piloted and scaled up in order to maximise the positive environmental and socioeconomic impacts of increased OFC production in The Gambia.
55,995 total beneficiaries
RURAL WATER MAINTENANCE IN THE GAMBIA (PHASE II)
Objective: To conduct research leading to piloting-professionalising water services and improving water quality in rural Gambia using inline chlorinators.
Installation of solar-powered water-holes, analysis of water quality and testing of inline chlorination systems.
2,000 - 3,500 water users in local communities
TO CONTACT US ABOUT OUR WORK IN the Gambia:
Country Director: Mbemba Jabbi
Address: 55 Kairaba Avenue, 2nd Floor Modern Stationery Building, Fajara P.O.
Box 2164, Serrekunda, The Gambia.
Phone number: +220-4396071 +220-4396072
