By: Momodou S Gagigo
In a powerful move toward inclusive rural development, ActionAid International, The Gambia has disbursed over D750,000 to 10 vulnerable farmers, including three persons with disabilities (PWDs), providing each beneficiary with D75,000 to invest in small ruminant breeding and fattening.
The symbolic handover took place at ActionAid’s branch in Niamina Kudang, where farmers, community leaders, local authorities, and beneficiaries gathered to mark the launch of the latest phase of the “Improving Rural Livelihoods Through Small Ruminant Production Project,” funded by the Temperatio Foundation through ActionAid Switzerland.
Speaking at the ceremony, Hon. Sainey Mbaye, Deputy Governor of Central River Region, praised the initiative as critical seed capital that will help recipients generate sustainable income through sheep and ram breeding. “This support comes at the right time for our physically challenged brothers and sisters,” he said, while urging the Department of Livestock Services to monitor the investments and provide technical guidance closely. “Without proper follow-up, such initiatives risk falling short of their goals,” Mbaye cautioned, expressing hope that other development partners will replicate and expand the program across the region.
ActionAid emphasized that the intervention deliberately targets those often left behind, aligning with the organization’s commitment to leave no one behind and its Strategic Priority 2 under Country Strategy Paper VI (2024–2028). The project also promotes climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture and agroecology as tools to curb rural-urban migration and irregular youth exodus.
Beneficiaries were visibly moved. Amadi Ceesay, a young man with disabilities from Kerr Biran village, promised to multiply the investment: “My aging parents depend on me. With this support, I will work hard so that by next year I can return an amount equal to what I received today.”
Perhaps the most emotional moment came from Fatou Konteh, the mother of beneficiary Mamadou Jallow, who became disabled several years ago. Fighting back tears, she recounted years of medical struggles and financial hardship to keep her son in school. “ActionAid has given us hope. Now I can better care for Mamadou and secure his future,” she said.
Since 2018, ActionAid’s Local Rights Programmes in Kudang and surrounding areas have trained 80 young people—including PWDs—in poultry, small ruminants, and vegetable production, providing start-up packages that have already sparked dozens of micro-enterprises.
Community leaders and officials described the initiative as a model for inclusive growth, proving that targeted investment in marginalized groups can build resilient rural economies, one family at a time.
