The presentation ceremony that was held at the WAAPP head office in Abuko brought together farmers, Yai Compins, women mobilisers, ward councillors and other members of the community. The donated items include seeds of okra, sweet pepper, onion, cabbage and tomato; and ten bags of fertilizer, among others.
Speaking at the occasion, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, the Majority leader of the National Assembly and member for Serekunda East, commended WAAPP for their support to farmers, and for enhancing agricultural productivity in the country. He pointed out that WAAPP's project implementation is in line with President Jammeh's vision of ensuring food self-sufficiency in the country, and hailed the Project's intervention in national development.
Hon. Jatta described the President, as theleading farmer in the country thanks to whose efforts the project came into being. He went on to commend the Gambian women for their hard work and advised them to use the items for purpose given, to ensure sustainability.
The WAAPP country coordinator, Sheikh Tijan Sosseh, gave a background of the project and some of its intervention areas in their mission of helping women horticultural gardeners, with a view to improving productivity during the rainy season. He informed that theproject is being funded by the World Bank and the Spanish Government, through the Government of The Gambia. He reminded the community of Abuko about their recent distribution of some items to the horticultural gardeners nationwide.
Sosseh remarked: "This WAAPP project was created under the dynamic leadership of the President, whose personal intervention has yielded dividends for Gambian farmers, in his quest for enhancing food security in the country". He further emphasised that this project is here for the Gambian farmers and called on a collective effort on the implementation of the project. He pointed out that the items are free of charge and thus urged the farmers to take good careof them.
The national coordinator also assured the Abuko women for his continuous support and urged them to report anypests detected in their horticultural garden for immediate action.
For his part, Momodou Alhagie Picka Jallow, the Serekunda East political mobiliser of the APRC, commended the WAAPP coordinator and his staff for their support and the high regard they have for Gambian farmers, particularly the women folk.