By Yero S. Bah
The distribution of food supplies and other humanitarian gestures continues to bear the hallmark of the coronavirus global pandemic, and Gambian youth are also on the frontline in these efforts to make life better for the most vulnerable in society.
As a result of this, the young people of the Central River Region (CRR) are on a mission to distribute food ration to borderline communities situated along the Gambia-Senegal frontiers.
As the Regional Youth Coordinator of this food distribution, Mr. Muhammed Saidykhan told this online medium, the motive of the food aid is purely based on extending support to these vulnerable communities who are mainly marginalized in this global pandemic era. That the youth of his region came together in making this project a reality following certain visits in those border villages.
The young man coordinating the said distribution shared this information last week, during an interview with Mansa Banko Online, following the commencement of their food distribution in the region. He said that the Regional Youth Committee Chairperson is fully involved in the food aid project meant for the vulnerable people in CRR, explaining they came up with the idea in which a Gofundme account was created to raise funds for the project so as to access and render support to hard-to-reach communities along the border in these trying moments of the coronavirus pandemic.
Saidykhan disclosed that they are also working with Jane Smith, a UK national who produces and sells face masks in the United Kingdom in order to raise some funds for the food aid, and the proposed water project for the village of Ranerou in Central River Region where, he noted, residents face numerous challenges in terms of access to potable water.
The Regional Programme Officer for the National Youth Council (NYC) went on to state that they are purchasing the rice from a local producer–Marou Farms Ltd in CRR, reasoning this was to empower the local industry or producers.
Saidykhan, a community development worker, added that communities such as Ngunta, Ranerou, Kerr Ousman Boye, Jahanka, Ceesay-Kunda and other settlements are all vulnerable because they are hard-to-reach areas and borderline communities between The Gambia and Senegal.
With covid-19, Saidykhan cautioned that everyone is vulnerable and he observed that, these communities seemed to be forgotten as no one talks about them. In his words, it wasn’t difficult for them [youth] to identify these communities and others as vulnerable; that communities like Kudang or Bansang are always exposed to lots of opportunities compared to the above-mentioned vulnerable villages that are off the national trans-Gambia highway.
On the challenges, the Regional Youth Coordinator pointed out that their target on the Gofundme was five thousand pound sterling (£5,000) which they are yet to achieve, “but people are paying”. Citing mobility as another challenge, Saidykhan was quick to single out the intervention of the Regional Governor Mr. Sheriff Abba Sanyang, who provided the team with a vehicle to ease their mobility constraints.
For him, the successes are numerous as they were able to distribute 50 bags of the 25 kilograms Marou Farms Ltd. rice to the communities concerned. Saidykhan continued, “We have reached over fifteen thousand (15,000) Gambians on the borderlines in Central River Region, on sanitary materials and awareness education.”
The youth empowerment Project representative in CRR further informed that while the food aid distribution is ongoing, the water project for Ranerou is also at an advanced stage as they were able to discuss with the government of the Gambia through the office of Department of Water Resources Department in Janjangbureh as well as other international organizations. Saidykhan said hopes are high that Ranerou would soon enjoy clean water, claiming “Government puts Ranerou on their priority list for water.” The village has a well that is 65 meters deep and is not accessible at all, he decried.
In this 21st century, the CRR youth leader is of the strong view that Gambian communities don’t need to across borders to buy water in Senegal. Admitting they don’t have the money to dig a well, Saidykhan, however disclosed that, they are trying to raise funds, and awareness on the issue to government and other partners so as to resolve this challenging matter for the villagers of Ranerou.
“We will put pressure on government to see how committed they are in providing water to this village,” he vowed.
In conclusion, Saidykhan discosed that Ngunta and Kataba Omar communities would each receive 25 bags of rice, and they planned to distribute food aid to more communities in the coming days and months ahead.
