An Italian national Ms. Kerstin Strian and her Gambian associate in Project Kerstin Gambia, Mr. Karamo Jabbi, have expatiated on their mission to fight hunger by reviving and enhancing the production of Findi in the Wuli East village of Sutukoba, Upper River Region (URR) of the Gambia.
[Digitaria exilis, also referred to as Fonio, hungry rice, and Findi–in the Gambia–is considered to be one of the oldest African cereals; the oldest in West Africa, and the world’s fastest-maturing cereal. It’s said to hold high nutritional value to humans, having contained a good amount of dietary fibre, protein, minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium, and vitamins. The folic acid and other amino acids contained therein are beneficial for women during pregnancy, dietitians and nutritionists agreed].
In an interview with Mansa Banko Online, Ms. Strian explained: “The initiative aims to eradicate hunger, revive and enhance Findi production, so as to attain food self-sufficiency through the production of Findi. And to also help boost livelihood for the producers.”
The Italian philanthropist reasoned she came to the Gambia with a view to helping agricultural production, particularly in Sutukoba; and in an effort to address hunger she had conducted a research and realized that it was essential to help mechanize some of the post-harvest Findi production activities. She said these are the major difficulties affecting the producers, especially the women who prepare the product into dishes. Strian indicated that some had to quit the production of Findi due to the said challenges, and as a result, they (project officials) went to Dakar and Bamako in search of a hulling machine that removes the Findi grains from the husks.
The Project Kerstin Gambia official disclosed: “We sent some people from Sutukoba to Bamako [Malian capital] to learn how to operate the machine. We are still looking for the machine that can help harvest Findi. Last year, we provided 800 kilos of seeds to the producers. This is to encourage people to take up Findi production”.
Their next step, Strian disclosed to this medium, would be to devise ways of commercializing Findi product, with a view to making it a livelihood earning venture for the farmers, noting most of the Findi products in the market are imported. Stating they are also working towards ensuring that the produce is sold beyond the Gambian borders, she intimated that their first priority is to increase and maximize Findi production (in the Gambia) as well as reduce its costs, so that people consume it regularly.
Noting Findi is “mostly used [as a meal] during occasions”, Ms. Kerstin Strian went on to highlight some of the health benefits of Findi: it’s good for diabetes; contains lots of amino acids, and also good for heart disease. She informed this medium, the first step is for the people to consume Findi more, and “if there is excessive production, then we can look for markets both within and outside the Gambia, where we can sell them. We are also in the process of identifying a dealer where the producers can sell their surplus produce and generate income”.
According to her, last year they distributed 800 kilos of Findi seeds but they are planning to increase the quantities to 1,200 kilos of seeds, so as to ensure that more famers are provided with seeds, to participate in the production.
Ms. Strian used this interview to enjoin their counterparts in Sutukoba to take ownership of the initiative, reminding that the project is designed for them. She, however, commended them for the giant interest and dedication they have shown to the initiative. She reassured that they are making efforts to secure funding so as to adequately finance the project, while hoping this would enable them to procure the needed harvesters and thrashing machines which are crucial in the Findi production.
For his part, Mr. Karamo Jabbi also informed this online medium that, at the initial stage of the project, they faced some difficulties in their search for the machine, but said they had succe
eded in securing the hulling machine.
Jabbi also advised the community to be engaged more in the production of Findi, encouraging them that it could help to eradicate hunger. He held that the huller would help the producers in separating the grains from the husks, which, he lamented, has been one of the major difficulties the farmers were facing in their production.
Meantime, Ms. Strian and Mr. Jabbi are soliciting support from the relevant stakeholders to enable them fully implement the project, as they admitted their major challenge at the moment, is the “inadequate financial strength” in the execution of the initiative.
