New policies and investments urgently needed in support of rural youth in poorest countries, says a new UN report

Rome, 18 June 2019 –  Effective policies and investments are urgently needed if the world's poorest countries are to offer a future to hundreds of millions of marginalized young people living in rural areas, according to a new report released today by the United Nations' International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The 2019 Rural Development Report - Creating opportunities for rural youth shows that about 500 million young people, about half of the youth population of developing countries, live in rural areas.  This number rises to 780 million  when  semi-rural and peri-urban areas are included. These young people are prone to poverty and inequality and are held back by a series of constraints, including lack of training and skills, limited access to land and credit,  scarce availability of inputs and restricted links to social networks. 

Six cooperatives supported by Nema-Chosso generate D11M

Nema-Chosso Project Director, Mr. Gassama

By Mamadou Edrisa Njie

In an exclusive interview on Tuesday, 18^th June, 2019, with the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project (Nema), Mr. Momodou L. Gassama, the Project Director, gave the latest updates on some of the project’s success with special focus on support to cooperatives and linkages between producers, economic operators and other actors of the value chain. These initiatives have been ongoing since the start of project implementation in 2012.

“Over the last 2 years, the cooperatives have generated cumulative savings of more than eleven million dalasis (D11,000,000,000) from the purchase and sale of fertilizer alone,” he disclosed.

According to him, the six cooperatives were created in the cluster areas of: Boiram and Kudang in Central River Region South (CRR South), Bajarally Suba in Central River Region North (CRR North), Jurunku and Salikene in North Bank Region (NBR) and Pakalinding in Lower River Region (LRR).

BRIDGES MADE DIFFERENCE IN LIVES OF WOMEN FARMERS

The aim of every intervention by the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project (Nema) is to reduce poverty of rural women and youth and increased incomes for the beneficiaries.

This is exactly what Nema is doing for the people of Jarumeh Koto Village, in the Central River Region North.

The Nema project is actually an up scaling of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) previous projects, particularly the Participatory Integrated Watershed Management Project (PIWAMP). 

Under the Nema project, substantial funds has been raised to co-finance the project in the country, of which IFAD contributed US$40 million, and in addition to that also, there has been a parallel co-financing agreement with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) at a tune of US$50 million. Added to the above figures, there is a parallel financial agreement with the IsDB that is supporting the Building Resilience against Food Insecurity in the Sahel (P2RS) project at a tune of US$20.8 million. The total portfolio of the project is US$76 million.

“The coming of this tidal irrigation and especially the construction of the bridge has transformed our lives for good,” Aja Nyima Sillah, leader of Nematulie Kafo, in Jarumeh Koto Village, told Mansa Banko Blog during an interview in Jarumeh Koto village.

AMB. AMINA MOHAMED SHARES HER AGENDA WITH THE YOUTH

AMB. (DR.) AMINA C. MOHAMED

Addis Ababa, Thursday January 26, 2017– Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Amina Mohamed who is a candidate for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), accompanied by Mrs. Sicily Kariuki, Kenya's Minister for Youth and Gender Affairs met with youth from various African countries during the 9th African Union Gender Pre-Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the theme: "Harnessing the Demographic Dividend Through Investments in Youth: Empowering Young People, Especially Young Women, For Leadership and Civic Participation."  This event marked the beginning of the 28^th AU Summit .

Amb. Amina's Vision for the AUC has centered the role of the youth in Africa's development. In her new year's letter to Africans, she wrote: "In sum, our youth are our currency. This century is theirs and Africa’s! To harness their potential, we must collaborate both politically and economically. We must work in partnership and integrate in a manner that catalyses Africa’s synergy and diversity." 

Amb. Amina highlighted the need to listen to the needs, challenges and solutions proposed by the youth.  She expressed concern that youth engagement has often taken an "address approach" as opposed to a "dialogic approach." She stated that it was critical to recognise that Africa's youth, in this age, are the most educated, most exposed, most informed, most innovative and proactive. As a result, the promise of their potential can only be realised through consistent and sustainable partnership and joint decision-making with the youth. 

At Poultry for Prosperity launching, officials calls for ‘self-reliant’

The Poultry for Prosperity with the acronym P4P has officially been launched at the Department of Livestock Services in Abuko on the 8^th November, 2016.

The project is jointly funded by the Food and Agriculture Sector Development Project (FASDEP) under the Ministry of Agriculture and SAADIS Group Limited. The project will be implemented by the National Enterprise Development Initiative (NEDI).

FASDEP through its sub-component will provide 60 per cent funding for the establishment of 150 backyard poultry schemes for youth and women under the P4P, while SAADI Group Limited contributes 40 per cent.

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Landing B. Sanneh, general manager, NEDI said the project is intended to benefit 1000 young people across the country.

Training for women, youth on income generating activities starts

High table and participants

The Building Resilience against Food and Nutrition Insecurity in the Sahel’ (P2RS) project, a component managed by the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project, popularly know as (Nema), is embarking on a four-day training designed to enhance the skills of women and youth on business planning and management of income generating activities.

The training will run from the 31^st October to 3^rd November, 2016 at the regional education directorate in Basse, Upper River Region, is financed by African Development Bank (AfDB).

Speaking on the occasion, Ousman M. Colley,  regional agricultural director, Central River Region south, said the alarm bell is ringing for women and youth to develop bankable business plans so as to access funding, particularly the agricultural matching grants available within projects in the country.

“We have millions in the coffers of the agricultural projects because we cannot develop bankable business plans, the grants are not moving,” he said emphatically.

WADAF training: Gov't expresses concerns on sustainable conservation of fisheries

The West African Association for the Development of Artisanal fisheries (WADAF) recently organised a five days training on management of artisanal fishing processing sites and fisheries products. 

Participants

The purpose of the training, according to the organisers, is for stakeholders to understand the artisanal. sea products and the processing conditions as well as to how to managed fishing processing sites thus know how to process sea products eg smoking, packaging and labeling.

The regional training targeted artisanal fishermen from Sierra Leano and The Gambia and  the training was held at Nana Conference Center, in Banjul, The Gambia.

The Director of Fisheries, Mr Matarr Bah said that, the Ministry of fisheries is happy to be associated with the training whose objectives are in line with the fisheries policies of all sub regional fisheries commission member states.

"The major concern of the Government of the Gambia in the fisheries sector is the sustainable conservation of management of fisheries stocks saying that the sector plays an important contribution to food security". 

Gambia: Deputy agriculture minister says GNAIP should be inclusive

The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) in collaboration with ECOWAP, NEPAD and CAADP Horizon 2025, convey a three days workshop from the 27^th to 29^th September, 2016 at the Kairaba Beach Hotel.

  

The deputy minister of Agriculture, Mr. Sherriffo Bojang, presided over the official opening on behalf of the minister.

The restitution workshop is to launch the development process of the second generation of the Gambia National Agricultural Investment Plan-GNAIP 2.0 for agricultural transformation in The Gambia. 

GNAIP is the national blueprint for the development of Gambia’s agriculture sector.

Africa Food Prize awarded to Kanayo F. Nwanze for his dedication to African smallholders

Dr Kanayo Nwanze

The Africa Food Prize Committee, chaired by Olusegun Obasanjo, selected a Nigerian national, Dr Kanayo Nwanze, as the first winner of the ‘Africa Food Prize’ award for his efforts to improve the lives of smallholder farmers. Dr. Nwanze takes home $100,000 worth prize.

The President of the Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) was awarded the inaugural Africa Food Prize at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Nairobi.]

Nwanze is honored for initiating agricultural reforms, policies and programs which has improved the lives of millions and for his courageous leadership in encouraging solidarity with Africa’s smallholder farmers.

“I would like to dedicate this award to the millions of African women who silently toil to feed their families,” said Dr. Nwanze. “No nation has been able to transform itself without giving women the same rights and opportunities as men. Our hope for future generations rests with African women who bear and raise our young people who will shape the African continent in the years to come,” said Nwanze.

GENDER AND YOUTH: New models of masculinity and feminity to fight gender inequality

Women and Youth

The Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa- Creating a conducive and enabling environment for the fish sector to create equitable, social and economic development in Africa, highlights that, to a make sustainable positive changes in gender equality, a long-term bottom-up process requiring adequate funding is needed and to recongnize the critical role played by women within fisheries.

According to the Policy document, putting in place mechanisms to promote and protect women’s rights to participate in all aspects of marine, coastal and inland water fisheries governance and management and seek to improve access of women to fish and fish markets, particularly through the provision of credit at affordable rates is key. While consideration of age is important in gender analysis, youth also needs specific attention in its own right.

Development Forum to focus on women economic empowement

VP Dr. Isatou Njie Saidy

The office of the Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia  in collaboration with partners including Community Based Organizations, Non-governmental Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, public and private sector and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to organise a 'Development Forum'.

The 10th September 2014  forum to be held at the Kairaba Beach hotel outskirt of Banjul on the theme “Closing the Gender Gap-the Realities in The Gambia.

The focus area of the daylong forum will be on Economic Empowerment of Women and specifically on Women in Agriculture. Combined with wider audience participation, a group of key stakeholders will be engaged to jointly address the key aspects which would contribute towards the achievement of a more successful and vibrant agricultural sector most especially for women, according to a media release made available to Mansa Banko blog

Gender and Climate Change –Challenges and way forward

Author: Abdou Rahman Sallah

            Executive Director BAJ Gambia

Gender inequalities substantially limit women’s access to control over and use of services and productive resources. As a result, natural hazards have different impact on men and women. These inequalities make the effect more devastating for women. With equal gender opportunities, a new environmentally friendly perspective needs to be developed that makes men and women equally accountable for their personal consumption and renders them responsible for the impact they have on the environment.

Urgent actions are needed to combat climate change but lack of information on gender and climate change has slowed our reactions. Today, there is inadequate information on gender issues relating to climate change. Further research is therefore needed in several aspects to establish the linkages between gender and climate change.

One key challenge is the small proportion of women in relevant professions and position of authority. International climate change process would be achieve sustainably we need to espouse the principles of gender in all stages of the process from research, through analysis, agenda formation, negotiation and decision making, regime implementation etc.

GAMBIA: IFAD President to discuss investments in smallholder agriculture, women and youth

Kanayo F. Nwanze IFAD's President

The President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Kanayo F. Nwanze, will arrive in the Republic of The Gambia on 20 August for a two-day official visit to meet with His ExcellencySheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya AJJ Jammeh, President of the Republic of The Gambia, and high-levelgovernment officials. The focus of discussions will be on strengthening partnershipsand furthering work to transform rural areas into economically vibrant places.

“Investments in smallholder agriculture that prioritize rural people, and in particular women and youth, will be on the top of my agenda during my discussions with country leaders in Banjul,”said Nwanze prior to his departure. “Smallholder family agriculture  can be a high-yielding, efficient and lucrative businessas well as a dignified profession that produces food, creates jobs, sustains families and puts countries on the road to stable, inclusive development.”

Endeavour to share information, ensure transparency amongst project team, implementing agencies and beneficiaries- Jammeh

Ousman Jammeh with his IPAD shortly after delivering his speech

At a colourful and well attended second ‘Dialogue Forum’ organized by the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development Project, Nema, Agricultural Regional Director, West Coast Region, Mr. Ousman Jammeh on behalf of his department, expressed his personal and joyous greetings from the Regional Agricultural Directorate of the West Coast Region.

The Nema is a seven-year (2013 to 2019) project designed to build on the achievements and experience of earlier International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD financed projects in The Gambia-Rural Finance Project (RFP), the Participatory Integrated Watershed Management Development Project (PIWAMP) and Horticulture Development Project (LHDP) in the agricultural sector under the Ministry of Agriculture. 

The March 4^th- 6^th second ‘Dialogue Forum’ is underway at the Wellengara Agricultural Garden Training Centre in West Coast Region.

Basse: Women Exposed to Fuel-Efficient Stoves

If the cliché that ‘seeing is believing’ is something to cling to, then the women of Basse, the capital of provincial Upper River region of the Gambia, should no longer have doubt in shifting to energy-efficient cooking stoves.

For, they were recently made to see firsthand how one can prepare meals using the stoves, which compared with the traditional firewood and charcoal cooking devises, save more time and emits insignificant amount of smoke, thereby keeping cooks from exposure to health risks associated to smoke. 

“Engagement is needed for more women in URR so that we can all resort to the use of fuel efficient stoves and do away with firewood,” says a woman Astou Jobe, who witnessed the demonstration.   

Organised by the renewable energy association of the Gambia, REAGAM, in partnership with the ministry of Energy, with funding from the UNDP, the public demonstration on the use of the stoves was witnessed by women leaders, TAC members, police officers, community development workers and market women vendors. It was held at the Basse police station, situated right opposite the main market in that town.