A variety of food samples processed from cereals, fruits and vegetables were on Monday presented to Ismaila K Sambou, Secretary of State for Local Government, Lands and Religious Affairs, at his office in Banjul. Five women, who were identified by the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) to participate in a food processing training course at the Rufisque Municipal Council (RMC) in Senegal, have returned to the country, following a successful training.

At the ceremony, Yankuba Colley, acting Mayor of KMC, presented the food samples and certificates awarded to the trainees to SoS Sambou.

Receiving the samples, Secretary of State Sambou, commended the women for contributing to the efforts towards poverty alleviation in the country. SoS Sambou commended the women, saying that their participation pronounced the commitment of Gambian women to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.

He urged the women to plough back the knowledge for the benefit of Gambian people, especially women. He then assured them of his departments support towards the initiative.

Aja Marie Ceesay-Secka, who led the five-women delegation, said, the knowledge acquired will help them to participate fully in the country’s poverty alleviation drives.

Kemo Conteh, Director of Governance at the Department of State for Local Governments and Lands, who witnessed the presentation of certificates in Rufsique, emphasised the need for more exchange visits by planners and specialised technicians to Rufsique to study and prepare detailed plans on specific project interventions on cereal transformation, juice-making and preservation, credit and savings. He said “care for the handicap” being implemented in Rufsique could also be incorporated in community outreach and social programmes of the KMC and other Councils in The Gambia.

Mrs Ceesay-Secka, said the invitation by RMC is another manifestation of the partnership that exists between the two municipalities.

According to her, during their five-day stay in Senegal, they were taken on a conducted tour of the cereal production and training centre, a communal vegetable garden, a credit society, as well as a handicap centre in Rufisque.

She informed the ceremony that the food samples are of high quality and can be preserved up to five years. She then expressed hope that the knowledge gained at the training should be shared with Gambians, especially the women folk.

Salam Njie O Jallow, Assistant Administrative Officer at KMC, who deputised for the Chief Executive Officer, commended the women for their participation in the course. Ms Jallow recalled that similar training on gardening was last year conducted by RMC. 

According to her, RMC/KMC twining is an example of a successful “South-South local government partnership” that should be supported and encouraged by all and sundry.