Gambia: Bakau Women Gardeners Cry for Help
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The Daily Observer (Banjul)
18 July 2008
Posted to the web 18 July 2008
Mariatou Ngum-Saidy
Inadequate vegetable seeds, water, insecticides, garden materials, storage facilities, a competitive market, as well as a good fence is causing a lot of damages in the agricultural sector and indeed hindering good harvest in all farming and gardening activities.
One out of such examples is the Bakau women's horticultural garden.
In this edition of Women's Weekly, the Mistress of the column visited the Bakau Women's garden, at Mile 7, opposite Radio Gambia in Bakau, where the women are busy , cultivating vegetables as we began experiencing the rainy season. Even though the women continue to engage themselves in gardening activities throughout the year, yet they have a lot of challenges facing them.
The women gardeners grow different varieties of crops such as rice, corn, pepper, cabbage, garden eggs, bitter tomatoes, sorrel, cassava, etc.
Speaking to Women's Weekly, the women gardeners lamented some of the constraints they faced in their garden, which they said, needs urgent attention from the government and any other philanthropists interested in pushing forward the welfare of women in the country
One of the women explained that, lack of enough water and fencing of the garden, greatly affects their work. She said that they do not have enough wells and sometimes, all the wells get dry and they have to wait until when water is available before they can water their nursery beds. She disclosed that, they encountered a lot of theft cases, whereby thieves stole their vegetables and crops, during harvesting period
"Other constraints that we are faced with are; lack of fertilizers, as one bag of fertilizer is costing D700, which is very expensive, compared to our earnings, insecticides to kill the pests, seedlings, farm tools and equipments, and as well as the security of the garden", said another insider at the women's garden.
One of the women said that, sometimes they get assistance from philanthropists, Government and private institutions, adding that the latest donation came from Standard Chartered Bank Gambia Ltd.
The women also complained of lack of space in the market where they can sell their garden produce.
The women also called on President Jammeh and his government, philanthropists, NGOs, and Agencies to come to their aid.
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