By Muhammed Kandeh
Women gardeners in Dasilameh village in Jokadou District in the North Bank Regionare appealing for support to fence their 25-hectare garden.
The women gardeners made the appeal in a recent interview with this reporter at their vegetable garden called ‘SINN’.
“Over the past years and up to date, we are disturbed by cattle and other animals that always destroy our garden, if we are not here,” said Naffie Fofana, a woman gardener.
The rural women, who depend much on the proceeds from the garden for their livelihoods, are worried by the incursion into the garden by animals; which somehow threatens their survival.
“Sometime, we are afraid of staying here till late at night. Therefore, we have to pay some youth of the village to look after our vegetables, to prevent them from being invaded by animals,” said another woman gardener, Danjang Fofana.
She said they are able to support the needs of their children’s education from the proceeds of their vegetable products.
“We are doing our best in contributing our quota to the agricultural sector and to national development. We want to do more than we are doing right now, but the support is lacking. Please, let them support us so that we can produce more for this country,” she appealed.
In addition, the challenge of the women gardeners in Jokadu is not limited to the lack of proper perimeter fence for the garden; but inadequate water supply, post-harvest losses, lack of market, among others, said Isatou Jammeh.
Women gardening is a major activity for most of the women in this part of the country. However, not much attention is given to the women in the trade.
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