Mr. Faback Gibba is a Gambia College student and young gardener who plants tree seedlings of different varieties and subsequent sell them, in his native village of Gunjur, Kombo South in the West Coast Region (WCR).
Gibba recently told Mansa Banko Online that the source of water is a major problem he’s facing in his garden because the well is approximately two hundred (200) meters away; and that he’s yet to install a borehole or provide an alternative water supply. He added that, the size and location of the garden is also a hindering factor, but he is still hoping for the best.
Gibba referenced during the WhatsApp interview that he became a “green lover”-[love nature]-since childhood when he didn’t even know much about the green, at the time. He remembered selling an avocado seedling for twenty-five (D25) each, a decade ago, indicating his passion for green increased as he grew up. He started helping his mother to water some crops that she mainly used for home consumptions before she ventured into the seedling business through the influence of one of his cousins.
Faback again: “Since then, I never throw an avocado seed easily because it pains me, to be honest. I got an inspiration from MYFARM, where we went for an excursion in year 2014-15.” He intimated that it really changes his mood whenever he visits the farm of a successful agriculturist. “My love for green is as natural as green itself,” his words.
The young gardener lamented due to the poor sources of water and the size of the garden, they only stick to the growing of oranges, avocados, peas and now pawpaw seedlings. He acknowledged the business is getting so competitive that one needs to be creative; disclosing they get their clients mostly from Gunjur.
The young seedling seller said it’s another source of income for them, while asserting that their greatest achievement is seeing their customers’ achievements. He pointed out that the seedlings are nurtured from nursery level up to the time of grafting; then they are grafted and sold for one hundred and fifty dalasi (D150) per seedling.
Meanwhile, the college student of education joined one of his agricultural mentors, Mr. Nfarama Badjie of Jambanjelly, calling on the rich Gambians to invest into agriculture because, he believes, this country has all it takes to do more in the agriculture sector. He stressed it’s always catastrophic if the backbone is severely damaged, clearly referring to agriculture which is largely branded as the backbone of the country’s economy.
Speaking apolitically, the gardener called on the Gambia Government to have a “clear and genuine vision” for the masses, reasoning Gambians should not continue to import everything. He suggested the government should have a plan to make sure Gambians become producers and manufacturers too. Gibba concluded that the youth deserve proper and effective empowerment and not the unending conferences.
