By: Haruna Kuyateh
Action Against Vulnerability of People (AAVP), a community-based organization has launched a four-month climate adaptation project in the North Bank Region.
The organization also donated two tricycles to local beneficiaries in North Bank Region to strengthen climate resilience and improve livelihoods.
The project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Small Grants Programme (SGP7), focused on climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience, environmental and natural resource management, and food security.
More than 200 women, youths and persons with disabilities are expected to benefit from training in agroecology, climate-smart agriculture, agroforestry and sustainable farming practices.
The project was launched at Kerr Omar Saine in Jokadou District, where it will establish and equip a one-hectare vegetable garden for the Kerr Omar Saine Youth Association while strengthening an existing garden managed by the Bali Mandinka Persons with Disabilities Association.
Speaking at the launch, AAVP Project Manager Mama M.K. Manneh says the initiative seeks to empower vulnerable groups with practical knowledge and skills to adapt to the impacts of climate change while improving their economic well-being.
She said the project had provided a tricycle to the Kerr Omar Saine Youth Association and another to the Bali Mandinka Persons with Disabilities Association to facilitate transportation to farms and orchards.
According to Manneh, the organization was established on 15 December 2023 to strengthen the capacities of communities, particularly women, youths and persons with disabilities, through sustainable development interventions.
AAVP Coordinator Momodou Wuri Jallow discloses that the organization’s work centers on community empowerment through partnerships, capacity building and advocacy aimed at reducing poverty, enhancing food security and promoting climate resilience.
He says AAVP adopts a participatory development approach in which communities lead project identification, planning and implementation, while the organization provides technical support, policy guidance and logistical assistance.
Jallow thanked the Global Environment Facility and the UNDP Small Grants Programme for supporting the climate resilience initiative.
Chief Alpha Mariam Khan of Jokadou commended AAVP for supporting youths and persons with disabilities in the district, saying the project would contribute to addressing the effects of climate change.
He urged beneficiaries to make good use of the support and serve as ambassadors for climate action within their communities.
Chairman of the Gambia Federation of Persons with Disabilities, Magistrate Muhamed Krubally, described the intervention as timely, saying it would enhance income generation and promote sustainable livelihoods for persons with disabilities.
He called on development partners to continue supporting initiatives that strengthen the economic empowerment and resilience of vulnerable groups.
President of the North Bank Region Disabled Association, Salifu Bagayogo, expressed appreciation to AAVP and its partners, saying the donated tricycle would significantly ease transportation challenges faced by members travelling to farms and gardens.
He pledged that the association would manage the equipment responsibly and ensure transparency in its use for the benefit of members.
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