In a powerful display of community-driven development, Women in Liberation and Leadership (WILL) has officially handed over a newly completed eight-bedroom staff residence to the Sintet Minor Health Center, significantly enhancing healthcare access for women, children, and the community’s residents.
The handover ceremony marked a key milestone in WILL’s broader mission to promote social cohesion and advance the economic and social empowerment of women and girls throughout The Gambia. Complementing the residence, the project features a one-hectare community vegetable garden supported by two boreholes and a 5ft solar-powered containerized cooling storage facility. These additions enable local women to cultivate, preserve, and sell fresh produce year-round, bolstering food security, nutrition, and household incomes.
What sets this initiative apart is its grassroots origins. The staff residence project began with community initiative—the residents themselves identified the need, secured initial resources, and carried out much of the early construction work. WILL provided essential financial and technical assistance to bring it to completion, exemplifying a true partnership model where external support amplifies local ownership rather than replacing it.
The Alkalo (traditional leader) of Sintet played a pivotal role by donating the land for the women’s vegetable garden, underscoring trust in women’s collective leadership and the strength of traditional governance in fostering progress.
WILL highlighted the collaborative spirit that fueled success. The organization expressed profound gratitude to Sintet’s elders for their spiritual guidance and efforts to maintain community unity. Special recognition went to the women of Sintet, whose vision, determination, and tireless work propelled the project from concept to reality. Youth volunteers contributed significantly by aiding construction, mobilizing participants, and handling logistics. The supportive involvement of male community members and elders ensured broad buy-in and smooth execution.
Funding for the multifaceted project was generously provided by The Annegret and Karl-Heinrich Hassenritter Foundation, whose commitment to sustainable, community-led empowerment enabled the realization of these priorities. Their support has helped establish lasting infrastructure that will serve Sintet for generations.
The Ministry of Health, represented by the Western 2 Health Directorate, attended the handover and offered official blessings, reinforcing institutional partnership and commitment to the long-term viability of the Sintet Minor Health Center.
This initiative stands as an inspiring example of how aligning external resources with community priorities can yield transformative results. By addressing immediate healthcare staffing needs alongside economic opportunities through agriculture, the project promises improved well-being, reduced vulnerabilities, and greater resilience for Sintet residents.
WILL continues to champion such models across The Gambia, proving that sustainable change flourishes when communities lead the way.
