Reclamation of our lost sandy beaches in the Gambia

The Gambian government knew leaving the beach eroding to sea will have adverse effect to the  tourism industry  which provides an employment opportunities for  over hundred thousand people. By 2002, Gambia tourism authority, a regularity body responsible for the affairs of the hotels and tourists have lost much of the beaches to the sea erosion .This have posted a threat to our tourism industry in 2002.

ERODED SANDY BEACHES THREATEN THE SUN BIRTHING OF THE TOURISTS ON HOLIDAY IN 2002

 In 2002 ,  the government signed contract with a Hollandaise company to reclaim the lost sandy beach along the coastal line and that company successfully reclaimed our sandy beach was restored it to its original form( about 200 to 300 meters of white sandy  from the sea).

 The Gambian beaches are given new name smiling coast of Africa and not only white sandy beaches but Gambians are the most friendly people in African continent and any tourist that  once come to the Gambia can testify to that.The Gambia have some of Africa’s best  sandy beaches that stretch  for 80 km and this attracts more than 150,000 tourists annually

PRESIDENT JAMMEH CONTINUES TO CALL FOR ALL HANDS ON DESK TO MAKE GAMBIA FOOD SELF SUFFICIENCY ON HIS RETURNED FROM QUATAR

The Gambian leader continues to stress on the need for  food security in the country, which has been the focus of his ongoing campaign slogan; "grow what you and eat what you grow"
His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh made this appeal to the Gambians through his interview with journalists at the airport on his return
from Qatar in February.
 The president urged Gambians  particularly the youths to rise up to the challenge and engage in agricultural activities. He lamented that farming is diminishing in the area in contrast to what used to obtain in by gone days.
President Jammeh told journalists that no country can boast of  real independent if you are not self sufficiency in food production.
He declare this year 2011---2012  farming season as a  failure due to less rain and this cause drought but his mission to Qatar was seek for food aid from the Qatari government for the Gambians.

President Jammeh also said a friend in  need is a friend in deed and the governments of Qatar,Japan and Taiwan as a true friends that always help his government .

He warned Gambians that the countries that are exporting rice are gradually becoming industrialize , this will reduce their  currently state of agricultural production and if the demand for food at world market is higher than the supply the food price will skyrocketed as those experience in 2008.

 PRESIDENT JAMMEH;S FARMING ACTIVIST

President Jammeh's demonstrating to the local farmers how to use a power tiller in the farm

He also said in his popular  document in TV; 'Jammeh a farmer,' that he is doing farming to serve as roll model for the youths of this country to take up farming seriously and together we create food sufficiency for our beloved country to save it from hunger .As a photojournalist, i have covered president Jammeh on many occasions at his  farm  and also with helping women at their various farms and all this have shown that Gambian leader is a very active farmer who always spent his entire holiday  farming in every month of August  at his village of Kanilai.

President Jammeh also remains the people of Foni that during his childhood period  , if you take a look a village Mayork up to the village of Kamwally, you see only mighty farmlands, but today the area has been turned into a thick forest due to the non-utilization of those farms.

PRESIDENT WITH SINE HOE WEEDING
"If I tell you to till the land, you say it is difficult"  but as a president i do till the soil daily whilst at Kanilai says President Jammeh.

But farming and death which one is difficult? We all know that you cannot go to heaven without dying, so how is it possible for you to have something without sweating?
 He told youths that farming or tilting the soil is rewarding in the next world.

Women and Vegetable Crop Production

Women have continued to be the principal producers of vegetables for the home and local market. Women in this industry can be categorised into individual and communal producers. The group or communal approach was either at the village level or women groups in the Village.

PRESIDENT WITH WOMEN WEEDING A VEGETABLE GARDEN

Introduced by the Department of Agriculture to easily reach many women with extension advice,    using common gardens in which each woman has a number of beds to grow preferred vegetables. 

According to the 2002/2003, National Agricultural Sample Survey, 87,000 women operate in communal gardens. All the groups experienced water shortage. Consequently, yields were reduced.

SIR DAWDA JAWARA FORMER GAMBIAN PRESIDENT DONATED A SUM OF D50,000 TO THE VP AS PART OF HIS GIFT TO REMEDY THE POOR HARVEST OF THE FARMERS

Former Gambian president, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara on Monday gave D50, 000 as his contribution towards the remedial efforts to last year's farming season failure.

     
Presenting the money to the Vice President and Minister of Women's Affairs, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, at State House, Sir Dawda Jawara explained that this was a disaster that struck the Sahel region, as a result of change in climatic condition, which can be unfavorable to crop production.

He therefore noted that we can't leave everything in the hands of government, that institutions and individuals should come forward to assist in this natural disaster to complement government's efforts.
'
The Vice President Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy thanked the former president on behalf of President Jammeh, government, the entire Gambian people, the beneficiaries for this laudable gesture.

She added that not everybody can "sacrifice a month's salary" for such a course and therefore thanked Jawara for heeding to the President's call for contribution to a fund that he has set aside to address the situation.

VICE PRESIDENT OPENS THE 4th REGIONAL SEMINAR ON FOOD SECURITY AT SEA VIEW HOTEL

Vice President Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy on Wednesday presided over the opening ceremony of sub-regional seminar on food security through commercialization of Agriculture, at the Ocean Bay Hotel.

The three-day meeting marked the 4th Food Security through Commercialization of Agriculture (FSCA) sub-regional programme meeting.

FSCA project in The Gambia is among seven national projects funded in West Africa by the Italian Government through its special contribution to the Global Trust Fund for food security and food safety.

The projects are implemented through the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Mali, Senegal, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry and Sierra Leone.

The project aims at promoting food security and supporting specific policies to introduce sustainable production, processing and marketing for farmers.

           

In her opening speech, the vice-president said the meeting was timely and relevant as the workshop was taking place at a time the Gambia Government has just launched the country Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE), the successor programme to PRSPII, which seeks to enhance further the productive base of the economy through maximizing its growth potentials.

“The Government of The Gambia has been committed to reducing poverty and improving the well-being of its population since designing its first development strategy in 1994. This commitment is driven by the government’s long-term strategy - Vision 2020,” VP Njie-Saidy said.

Agriculture is the backbone of the Gambian economy, she also said, adding that it contributes about 24 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“The Vision 2020 Gambia Incorporated, the national Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment and the sector policy and programme, all spell out clearly our determination and commitment as a nation and government to agriculture as the main pillar for this country’s future and its development,” the vice president said.