Vegetable garden projects and tractor service
About 1,000 women of Jahaly and neighbouring Madina work on four gardens with a total size of more than 100,000 m².
The gardens were an initiative of the villagers. It was in the year 2002 that the women’s committees of the two villages requested support of the Project Aid. They had joined together with about 220 women and wanted to have a cooperative association.
Project Aid agreed to dig 21 wells on 40,000 m² area, fence the gardens and take care of seeds and fertiliser. The Gambian government sent an expert to advice and support the project.
There were several attempts to fence the gardens with local barbe wire and later even materials that are used in Northern Germany for the dike. However it was found that it was most quality- and cost efficient to use a local type of fence: hedges.
On their plots the women now grow green tomatoes, onions, pepper, okra, garden-eggs, salads, cabbage, carrots, sweet potatoes and many more vegetables.
Garden „Jahaly 1“
This garden is about 22,000 m² large and has twenty wells on it, that makes one well for 1,100 m². | Google Maps |
Garden „Madina 1“.
This garden has an area of about 40,000 m² and 21 wells, that makes it one well for about 2,000 m². | Google Maps |
Garden „Madina 2“.
This garden is about 11,000 m² large and has eight wells. That makes it one well for about 1,500 m². | Google Maps |
Garden „Jahaly 2“
This garden was initially sized 11,000 m² with only four wells, so only one for about 2,750 m². In 2010 the garden was enlarged by extra 15,000 m² to now 26,000 m² and several additional wells were dug. So there is now one well for each 2,350 m². | Google Maps |
All gardening projects are very successful. The women are very committed and they are able to enrich their families diets a lot with the fresh vegetables. Items they do not use for themselves the women sell on the local markets. This own income means to the women a piece of financial independence. The money the women invest especially in health and in their children’s education.
Since 2005 there is also a tractor available equipped with basic tools like a disc harrow and a trailer. The tractor is parked within the campus and may be lent by the local famers. They only pay for the Diesel and the driver. Maintenance costs are covered by Project Aid.
Video: The garden projects in Jahaly/The Gambia (2010).
