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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Mar 2010 : 14:19:05
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I was having a browse and this cropped up (no pun intended
http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4581
I read the piece twice,why? because I found it hard to believe,these gardeners have a 12 Hectare plot of ground for their garden,equipped with 20 taps, a borehole, a generator,all provided free by people who wanted to help the villagers,what happened,No body is prepared to GIVE fuel to make the generator work.
If the Villagers really wanted to benefit from this generosity the least they could do was to try and raise money for fuel for the generator.
Surley people cannot expect to be given everything for free.
Can someone please stop me being confused about this and explain the thought process of these gardeners.Am I missing something ?
Poverty Undermining Gardening At Ndungu Kebbeh
By Pateh Baldeh on 05-03-10
The women and men gardeners at Ndugukebbeh in Upper Niumi in the North Bank Region have lamented the lack of water in their village garden. Speaking to this reporter on Tuesday 2nd March 2010, the gardeners lamented their inability to sustain a generator which pumped water for their community gardens.
Narrating their ordeal to this reporter, the gardeners said the garden was sponsored by the UNDESA Project and the borehole in the garden was constructed by FMK DRILLING COMPANY three years ago.
According to Malick Drammeh, the village development committee spokesperson the gardeners have ceased working at the garden during the dry season because of the inability to fuel the generator since they produce crops they cannot find markets for.
He said the villagers only work at the place during the rainy season. He said there is a borehole in the garden whose construction was sponsored by the UNDESA PROJECT, but that they do not have cash on a daily basis to buy fuel for the generator that pumps water from the borehole. He said the gardeners could not continue to buy fuel due to low production and lack of a good market to sell their vegetables.
According to him, the proceeds generated from the sale of the vegetables produced were expected to uplift their living conditions and improve their economic status and reduce dependency on others.
Another person who adds his voice to the issue was Malick Kebbeh who expressed similar remarks, adding that the first village garden was established years back with four wells dug inside, but the gardeners could not continue working there and the owner of the land repossessed his property. He indicated that it was after that that another person allowed them to use his property for gardening.
He informed this reporter that the owner of the second garden has signed documents that indicate that they use the land for horticulture.
Other women also expressed similar sentiments and called on the government and the private sector to come to their aid to enable them to use his land for gardening which helps them to improve their living conditions and to reduce dependency on their husbands.
They lamented the lack of market for their produce and called on the government to help them solve that problem.
This reporter also talked to Kebba Faye, the owner of the second plot of land who admitted that he is the provider of the land for the purpose of a village garden at no cost. He said the size of the land is 12 hectares. He also lamented that the garden is not benefiting the villagers as they do not have the means to purchase fuel to enable them have access to water. According to him, there are more than 20 taps in the garden but due to lack of money to buy fuel by the villagers he said work is not taking place at the garden during the dry season when gardening should actually be done. He made the commitment to allow the gardeners to use the land to continue their gardening.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Brufutboy
United Kingdom
14 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2010 : 18:01:53
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Not totally unbelievable toubab! Having spent many years trying to understand how things function in the Gambia, I would stick my head above the parapet and risk commenting on this topic.
Dare I say that unless there is somebody who is willing to take 'ownership' of such a project, it is much easier for the workers to opt out and find any excuse rather than getting stuck into something that will in the long term prove beneficial. Too much of 'living for today' syndrome rather than looking for the future like next week, month or year! I'll put on my tin hat and wait for the response!!
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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2010 : 18:57:38
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Thanks for putting your head up above the wall Iam pleased to read that you had your tin hat on  . You have identified a big overlooked problem in Gambia when you wrote
"Too much of 'living for today' syndrome rather than looking for the future " this is very much the case,it appears that very many Gambians live by this .
I personally find it rather difficult to understand,money in most cases appears to be something that only charities or toubabs have,I cannot understand,there are always excuses put forward to cover all aspects of this syndrome.
I thank you for posting a reply.54 reads of this topic so far and yours is the only reply ,come on folks please make us understand, are we wrong ?
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 08 Mar 2010 19:01:34 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11734 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2010 : 20:48:01
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The points both of you raised are very valid. 
Manually operated hand pumps are more sustainable for such communities in third world countries. The sponsors should have known that fuel consuming machines would be a burden for these women. Solar energy is also another option, on condition that they are secured from being stolen.
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2010 : 21:28:26
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Momodou,the sponsors had a borehole installed,which invariably is a lot deeper than a well,this is probably because the water obtainable from a well or wells with hand pumps would not provide sufficient water to effectively irrigate such a large area of land that has the potential to provide MARKETABLE crops (ie crops that people want and would buy ! Solar energy, great and free of course but VERY expensive and as you have observed liable to theft.
If the villagers had given the matter a little thought another FREE option may have been a windmill driven pump,there again this is very dependant on the availability of a more or less constant wind.
Alternativly they could have approached the president and asked if his garage chain would sponsor their fuel consumption for the generator. or can they have an account for the fuel until their MARKETABLE produce is sold,whereapon they could clear the account,I am sure if this was agreed there would be no failaure to clear the debt.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11734 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2010 : 22:20:43
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Toubab, there are many unanswered questions and we can only speculate. I wonder if there was a proper feasibility study done before starting this project especially with regards to the generators. Was it not made clear to the villagers that the engine does not run on water? How were they going to operate the generator? Who was going to be responsible for the fuel costs? Any checks and balances?
This issue reminds me of the World Bank rice project in the 1970s when Diesel driven pumps were installed in the rice fields of all the villages involved but they ended up being monuments. The project in one village I know failed because the agricultural officer who kept the account of the amount of fuel used during the season apparently recorded a higher amount than the Alkalo. The end result was that the villagers refused to pay because the official had been selling part of the fuel for his own pocket. The project stopped and the pump is still by the river side I believe.
There are a few tidal irrigation projects sponsored by Action Aid and Taiwan in the same area today and they are running fine because it involves a very simple technique suitable for third world countries.
Keep it simple! Oops, was that not your signature.
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2010 : 22:52:03
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Ok, I read what you say What I will say is that if The Gambia is going to be a green and pleasant land self sufficient in food then projects that well intentioned people start will fail because the locals do not want development,you talk of " a few tidal irrigation projects sponsored by Action Aid and Taiwan in the same area today and they are running fine because it involves a very simple technique suitable for third world countries" I would be very interested to know how these projects are doing in more detail, ie how much produce is grown over a year.The Gambian people are very capable of utilising 1st world technology,mobile phones, satilite TV DVD films etc. only IF THEY WANT TO.your posting appears to conferm what Brufutboy and myself have written,namely that most Gambians live for today and do not wish to change unless they like what is available.
Put a little more kerry on the fire its very low now and Attaya will not be ready in time before we go to bed  after discussing this
P.S, I am not knocking anyone it just interests me why development has not been more successful with all the money that has been poured into The Gambia over the years,Starting with The Groundnut Scheme which at times has flourised and at other times collapsed .And your own example The world Bank rice project, The Chinese started a prawn and shrimp farming project I believe same thing happened there.
We return again to that old discussion Does the Average Gambian want development and join the outside world?
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 09 Mar 2010 : 09:02:45
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| I think there is a marketing problem too; which if addressed could create revenue and then revolving cash to buy fuel. The projects have to be self-sustaining and effective marketing is crucial to that end. No markets, no revenue, therefore no motivation. Perhaps the pioneers of the project did not foresee and plan for an effective outlet (market) for the produce without which there cannot be success.... |
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Momodou
Denmark
11734 Posts |
Posted - 09 Mar 2010 : 11:41:01
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Toubab, the villagers utilising the tidal irrigation harvest rice three times a year. I know a village where each house hold has a minimum of 4 plots (don’t ask me the size of a plot). With fertilizer, the finish product for one plot yields up to 15 bags rice (around 25kg pr. bag). It demands extreme hard work especially when temperatures are over 45 degrees Celsius.
Recently, I was watching the GRTS and saw a program about a women’s garden in Brufut. The women were saying that they never lack money nowadays. They don’t have to go to the market to sell their products because clients come to them to buy.
A Gambian NGO I know called GAMSEM (Gambians for Self Employment), helps running women’s gardens in the Kombos and somewhere in the provinces. GAMSEM also assist members in transporting the products to the markets.
There are projects that are successful in the Gambia and others that are not. I believe the success depends among other things on sustainability and marketability.
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
Posted - 09 Mar 2010 : 11:42:08
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Kay.if you are going to sell something then it is obvious that you must find out if there is anyone who wants to buy that,in this case produce,in otherwords food,people will always want food,in this case it may be that the produce was not that which was consumed locally and what was grown had to be transported a distance and subsequently was spoilt when put on sale,I agree with all that you note Kay,the fact still remains (if the report is accurate) that those gardeners have done NOTHING to help themselves after being given a great opportunity to improve the lives of themselves and their family, that was my initial point,my ongoing question is WHY ? what has been written so far has not dealt with that.
quote:
Originally posted by kayjatta
I think there is a marketing problem too; which if addressed could create revenue and then revolving cash to buy fuel. The projects have to be self-sustaining and effective marketing is crucial to that end. No markets, no revenue, therefore no motivation. Perhaps the pioneers of the project did not foresee and plan for an effective outlet (market) for the produce without which there cannot be success....
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Brufutboy
United Kingdom
14 Posts |
Posted - 09 Mar 2010 : 12:53:14
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| Momodou it is interesting that you mentioned the women's gardens at Brufut. I have visited and bought produce from them. It is also a fact that the solar-powered pumps were installed some time back. When I was last there the pumps were not working and the women were pulling water from the wells.The area being farmed is very large and yet they still managed to irrigate the crops.With no power, the motivation is self respect and a vison of what they can achieve with some hard work. I think what I am trying to say is that before generators, solar etc people still produced crops and made a living off the land. What has changed so dramatically that this cannot happen now? It upsets me to see people in the Gambia going hungry and families suffering,but still the man of the household has a mobile phone!! I think that you would find that although machinery is sitting idle through lack of fuel that the people involved are telling anybody who will listen the problems via mobiles! |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 09 Mar 2010 : 20:08:04
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Hey Brufutboy what's up with people having a mobile both men and women have them in Gambia and so what? Phones are a means of communication and are more cost effective than a landline.How many unemployed people in the west and children have a mobile phone? Do we say they shouldn't have them because they're not working no we don't. So why put down Gambian men who have them. Before people set up projects in Gambia they'd make more of a positive impct if they consulted with the local residents discuss what they need. There's usually a big difference between peoples needs and wants. Most projects fail because so-called experts don't include recipicient all through the Project cycle hence wasting a lot of revenue on equipment left to gather dust or get rusty. Low cost technology using renewable energy is more sustainably friendly than guszzling petrolium generators. Momodou it does seem that their wasn't a feasibility done otherwise I doubt this project would've grounded to a halt.
Peace
Sister omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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Brufutboy
United Kingdom
14 Posts |
Posted - 09 Mar 2010 : 23:13:09
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| Sister I understand what you're saying but in the west,unemployed still get money and are able to afford mobiles. But what I am trying to say, is that if it is a matter of food for the family then surely this must take priority over phones in any part of the world. |
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Janko
Gambia
1267 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2010 : 01:31:57
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As many already said the success of this garden project does not depend on having water but being able to sell what is produced, it would not matter if they had been able to buy fuel.
This reminds me of the monkey and the fish; the monkey was resting on a tree branch leaning over the river and shows the fish coming up and then down the water, having a good time as fish in water. But the monkey thought the fish was drowning then he jumps in the water and took the fish on the river bank to save it from drowning. On his way back to the forest the monkey show the fish dead and dried under the tropical sun.
The monkey took it upon himself to safe the fish without asking the fish if it needed help or not or what kind of help it needed. This is the paradox of well-wishing, the monkey thought he knew best therefore did not ask the fish. So how ever well one may wish for a people one has to know what they need and not what one thinks they need.
The success of this garden project does not depend on having water but being able to sell what is produced.
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Clean your house before pointing a finger ... Never be moved by delirious Well-wishers in their ecstasy |
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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2010 : 02:22:36
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Janko, maybe if the "paradox of well-wishing" was implemented the gardeners would have been a lot happier (with ropes and buckets supplied of course  ) |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 10 Mar 2010 02:24:12 |
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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
Posted - 10 Mar 2010 : 16:06:17
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I think that this is a model to be followed, I wonder if Sinster Sister Omega will agree? take a look at this:
http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8832 |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 10 Mar 2010 23:11:58 |
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