By: Salifu M Touray
The Gambia Veterinary Association (GVA), with funding from the Project for Sustainable Management of Endemic Ruminant Livestock (PROGEBE) recently held capacity-building training for farmers and stakeholders on micro-enterprise development, at the Trans Gambia Lodge in Pakalindng village, Jarra West District of the Lower River Region (LRR).
Speaking at the gathering, Dr Badara Loum, the president of the Gambia Veterinary Association, said the training on micro-enterprise development is funded by the PROGEBE. He added that the training attracted 45 participants, drawn from West Coast Region, Central River Region and Lower River Region.
According to Dr. Loum, the training that attracted stakeholders like butchers, livestock dealers and the people involved in the sale of livestock feed, is meant to build their capacity on micro-enterprise development. He noted that the overall objective of the training is meant to enhance their understanding, so as to enable them achieve good business development and management skills.
Dr Loum, went on to describe the training as very important and timely in the sense that it will better equip the participants with the technical know how on improving their business ventures. He added that the training is not the first of its kind and that they will continue to lobby for more funds, so as to build and improve the knowledge and skills of their members.
The president of the GVA then urged the participants to take the training with seriousness, by participating fully throughout the whole training session. Their participation during the training session, he said, will not only broaden their understanding but will also add value to their business ventures.
The regional agriculture director in LRR, Ebrima Jawro Saidy expressed his appreciation and thanked the Gambia Veterinary Association for organizing the training. He described the move taken by the Gambia Veterinary Association as not only important and timely, but also a step in the right direction.
Director Saidy spoke at length on the significance of agriculture, saying that the government of The Gambia under the leadership of His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yaya AJJ Jammeh has taken a bold step towards the development of agriculture in The Gambia. He affirmed that the agricultural sector is now moving away from sustainable agriculture to the commercialisation of agricultural section.
Saidy thanked PROGEBE for funding the training, while urging the participants not only to take the training seriously, but to also share the information gained from the training to the wider community.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Demba Cham from CRR described the training as very educative, in the sense that they have learnt and acquired knowledge to improve on their business ventures. He assured that the skills and knowledge gained from the training would go a long way towards improving their business ventures.
Cham promised the organisers that the skills and knowledge gained from the training will not only be put into practice, but also shared to the wider communities in their various localities.