Women ‘Kafoo’ trains on Food Processing

The women of Brufut kafo called Nyafullen Kambeng kafo on 24 June, 2012 benefitted from a day-long training on food processing ofunded by the Joint Undertaken In Communities Education (JUICE), a local organization.

   The training brought together women of the group to learn the new skills to be able to acquire the required knowledge and skills to be able to engage in meaningful development, thus relied on the skill for living.

Faye Suso, Development and Networking Coordinator, JUCIE project, commended the women group for their fruit full collaboration with JUICE project saying that since 2005, JUICE project has been partnering with the group, while addressing the opening ceremony.

  Mr. Suso said the JUICE project was established in 2004 by a group of development-oriented people who have extensive experiences and knowledge in development work. According to him, JUICE project was formed to support women cause by empowering them, with life and marketable skills to boost their income generation avenues and reduce poverty.

JUICE is a local organization legally registered aimed at providing marketable skills training and opportunities for women kafo, youth organizations, and community-based organizations to ensure they got the right skills and knowledge for economic independent, said Suso.

On some of their interventions, Mr Suso revealed that their project is a small project but sustainable because since inception, they have trained series of youth, women groups and other institutions and even support schools by donating learning and teaching materials to schools.

He noted that JUICE constituted a management board who are voluntarily working for the organization and most the programmes are financed through donation and other forms of support.

Development and Networking Coordinator, JUCIE project, Mr. Suso commended David Bruce, his wife and the family for been the major donors to JUICE project likewise Frank Walker, Julie Fox and Anex for their continues partnership and support to JUICE project.

Hear him further: “JUICET project is an organization which is committed to the provision of quality training and the promotion of entrepreneurial development by using home produce to finish product for healthier and best quality for consumption.”

He continued, “Today’s training is based on food processing using fruits and vegetable convert it into finished products which can preserve for 6 months,” he stated.

Their intervention programmes, Suso added are well taught they are being identified, expressed and defined by the communities or kafos themselves, we just provide them the skills of their choices trying to link it to the market system for income generation.

He revealed that at the end of training the beneficiaries will be given a starting capital to kick-start their programmes and expand into other communities who may need their support in terms of such training.

He commended Madam Isatou Newlands- Secka Food and Nutrition lectures from The Gambia College, as well as the community of Brufut in general.

President of Nyafullen Kambeng kafo, Madam Assiatou Jallow, thanked JUICE project for the initiative adding that since 2005, JUICE project has been helping her group.

She said the initiative was the first of its kinds for her organization to be trained on such a laudable and worthy cause for Gambian women.

The proceeds from the petty business, Asi Jallow as she is fondly called said is what they use to support each other as members and save part of it for future interventions and expansion. She said her members are very committed but need support to be able to realize their goals and objectives.

She commended JUICE project for their timely intervention and assured them of their readiness to replicate the skill and knowledge to their various communities’ members for wider coverage in ensuring that the women and youths within the area are capacitize.

Mariatou Saho, secretary general of the kafo, said the training was vital and besides all the raw material needed are abundantly available at low or no cost and some of the product process are mango jam, mango juice, tomato paste, tomato ketchup, onions pickles, pepper paste among others which are widely in demand in the market.

She appealed to NGOs, the government and philanthropists to support them to have a centre where processing, preservation and marketing can take place.

Sunkary Badgie Board Member JUICE project also spoke at the training saying that JUICE project is here to help women and vulnerable peoples in the country.

According to him, JUICE project also teach women groups on entrepreneur skills for them be self reliant.

The women group received a tag-on their back, when Badgie said there since 2005 their collaboration with women group has been success.