By Amie Choi
From 6th to 7th March 2024, a team led by Saffie Sankareh- Farage, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs, Fatou Gibba, Director of the Department of Community Development, together with Niania Dabo, Country Project Manager for United Nations Capital Development Fund and the National Technical Committee, visited some of the ward project sites under the Jobs, Skills and Finance (JSF) project, co-implemented by the Department of Community Development and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
The project intervenes in thirty two wards in North Bank Region (NBR), Lower River Region (LRR), and Central River Region (CRR)-North and South. It provides dykes, water supply, culverts and gardens amongst others, for women and community.
Speaking to the communities as chairperson of the project’s National Technical Committee, Permanent Secretary Saffie Sankareh Farage, expressed good impressions about the positive feedback from the communities. “I am impressed that the communities are managing their projects well and taking ownership of them. It shows that the communities are in charge of their own development,” she added. She assured them of the Government’s full support in making sure that the project continues.
Haddy Mbaye, women’s representative from Kudang Ward, acknowledged that the project empowered women to be financially independent. Other women representatives shared similar sentiments.
One Mrs Njie stated that the project showed them that women can do whatever job they find themselves in despite the stereotypes attached.
The Alkalo of Kudang, Jah Mbaye, explained the significance of the culvert to the community. He said they had struggled for more than fifty years during every rainy season to access other neighboring villages. “Every rainy season, our children stopped going to school, our pregnant women suffered and our businesses shut down. Now that a bridge is constructed, we thank Community Development and UNCDF for making life easier for us,” Mbaye remarked.
The Permanent Secretary, Director Fatou Gibba, and Niania Dabo emphasised the importance of finding means to sustain the project. They advised the communities to communicate amongst themselves for the continuity of the project.
The regional chairpersons all reassured support to their communities and thanked the Government and UNCDF for doing what they at the regions could have done had they had the financial strength.
