By: Yunus .S. Saliu
In a move aimed at strengthening heritage conservation efforts across the country, the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) has provided motorbikes to staff at the Wassu Stone Circles and Mungo Park Memorial Obelisk to enhance mobility, site monitoring, and community engagement.
The official handover ceremony took place at the historic Wassu Stone Circles, where Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of NCAC, emphasized the importance of field mobility in effective heritage management. He noted that this intervention is just the beginning, with plans underway to extend similar support to other key sites, including the Kerr Batch Stones Circle Site, Musa Molloh Memorial Tomb in Kessar Kunda, and the UNESCO-listed Juffureh and Albreda heritage complex.
“Monitoring heritage sites requires constant movement be it for routine checks, community sensitization, or responding to threats like bushfires and flooding,” Ceesay explained. “Mobility is essential for our site staff to carry out their duties effectively and protect our national heritage.”
The initiative made possible through a collaboration with Africell Gambia Limited, is expected to significantly improve operational efficiency and visitor experience at these heritage locations.
A site attendant at the Mungo Park Memorial Obelisk in Karantaba Sami expressed appreciation, noting a marked increase in student visitors. “Thanks to ongoing improvements at the site, we’ve seen visitor numbers, especially school groups, more than double. This motorbike has come at just the right time to help us support that growth and ensure better access to the site,” he said.
The NCAC’s efforts to empower its heritage staff with transport resources mark a critical step in safeguarding The Gambia’s rich cultural legacy, ensuring that both local and international visitors can continue to explore and learn from these historical landmarks.
