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Women in agriculture and rural crafts
Much of agriculture throughout Africa depends on the efforts of women.
In The Gambia, women are traditionally responsible for providing
goods for household consumption whereas the men farm crops that are
of commercial value.
Small enterprises
are often operated by formal or informal women's groups. The
women often have only a very basic education, so may need help in
such areas as numeracy (e.g. bookkeeping and banking) and literacy
(e.g. better English for selling craft products to the tourist
trade). This is where Pageant can help, and is a perfect example of
encouraging Natural Talent. There is further information on
other women's
groups in the
links page.
Pageant has been helping a Women's Group
in the Village of Busumbala (near
Serekunda
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for about two years. The group has approximately 30 members, of
which about half are active members. Only one of these women has attended school, up to Grade 2.
Pageant has been funding literacy
and numeracy classes for just over a year, with a break for the rainy
season to work in the gardens. The women have opened a bank account,
under a scheme for community groups, citing our support.
Vegetable Garden
The Busumbala Women's Group run a
vegetable garden, and sell their produce at the local market.
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Kemo and Kerafo
(president of the group) in the Busumbala garden |
Three of the women at
their market stall in the little market between Yundum and Busumbala |
Craft Products
They produce
tie-dyed fabrics, dresses, dolls bags etc. - some for the tourist
market and some for local consumption. Pageant helps with with
materials for their craft (a sewing machine, scissors, thread,
needles, pins etc) and has paid some set-up money to buy dyes and
rubber gloves. We also send them large bags of women's and
children's clothing, all of which are received with great
enthusiasm.
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some of the stages in
the process for tie-dyed fabrics |
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Other women's groups
The selected links on the
links page show how other
women's groups are being helped in the Gambia. Pageant's involvement
could also spread to other
communities. Families are already being helped with supplies of
clothes and household items in the up-country villages of Bakalarr, Jarreng and Kalagi and it is mainly
the women who are the organisers of distributing this sort of aid
within the communities.
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