Source: Foroyya Newspaper
Women gardeners in Old Jeshwang are calling on the government, non-governmental organisations and individuals to come to their aid.

According to them, they are given an extra piece of land near their garden at Sting Corner but due to the nature of the grass in the area, they need the service of a tractor to clear the land and which they cannot afford. The women further explained that once the land is cleared for cultivation, it will enable them to expand the garden which is their main source of livelihood.

This information was revealed to Foroyaa in an interview with these women at their garden in Old Jeshwang yesterday. One Naffie Saidykhan said she has been working on the garden for six years. This garden, she noted, is a source of livelihood for her family.

She said they are faced with numerous constraints such as water problems, seeds and fertilizers.

She explained that in her area they have only one well which is sometimes insufficient for all of them. She said they have never received support from outside and as such is calling on concern groups, individuals or the government to help them with farming inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and water to make their work easier on the garden.

"I have been working on this garden for ten years now," said Alimatou Manneh. As a source of livelihood for her, she said she has her benefits from the garden as well as constraints. "There is no mechanized farming implements for us to utilize, so we use our bare hands with the hoe to work on the garden and right now I'm suffering from chest pain due to the hard work I endure here," she remarked. The kind of assistance they need, she said, is to be provided with a power tiller which they do not have the financial means to buy. She also lamented the insufficient water in the garden, noting the other wells are far from their garden.

Alimatou also appealed for fertilizers to boost the fertility of the soil and their production. Another woman gardener, Deinany Ceesay also said she has been working on the garden for over ten years and that whatever she gets from the garden she uses it for her family's upkeep.

She also appealed for seeds and pesticides to use against the insects destroying their plants. She called on her fellow women who are healthy enough to come and work on the farm as there are lots of benefits in it despite the challenges they encounter.

Nyima Jaiteh, also a gardener, said she has been in the garden for only a year and has seen the benefits from it. She said once her produce are ripe, she uses some for the consumption of the family and sells the rest and use the money to help the family.

• Gambia