Dr Aja Isatou Njie-Saidy, Vice President and secretary of state for Women’s Affairs, has explained before members of the National Assembly what was holding the progress of the Participatory Integrated Water Management Project (PIWAMP) activities in Nianija, the delay of the project and the number of PIWAMP’s intervention sites.in Upper Nuimi

Giving a detailed explainations on the delay in the progress of PIWAMP activities in Nianija, in response to a question from Honourable Dawda Manneh of Nianija, Vice President Njie-Saidy said PIWAMP uses a demand-driven participatory approach, meaning local people decide what type of assistance they want from the project, and that they contribute labour and raw materials which are available locally, and the project provides materials such as field equipment, cement, steel and skilled labour.

According to her, with respect to Nianija, PIWAMP has deployed a Conservation Field Assistant and a tractor at Chamen, in January 2008.  She added that PIWAMP is working with the communities of Chamen, Kaya and Kerewan Sitokoto on causeways and bridges in the Swamp rice fields and that other communities such as Battis and Bakadagi in the district were also sensitised on PIWAMP assistance.

He said that the alkalou of Chamen as well as the Chief are participating in the community mobilisation efforts. “Therefore, the progress of PIWAMP activities in Nianija is dependent on the level of turnout by members of the communities ”, she said.

Machinery problem

On the delay in the rehabilitation of access roads and other projects in Upper Nuimi, and issue raised by Honourable Cherno Omar Jallow, NAM for Upper Nuimi, VP Njie-Saidy stated that PIWAMP supports a range of activities including improvement of Inter-village roads to ease access to fields and markets for the farming communities.

“These works require hiring of heavy equipment such as motor graders at very expensive rates. The PIWAMP Management has therefore taken the strategic approach and contracted Shyben A Madi and Sons Ltd. for supply of 2 motor graders. We are expecting full delivery of these equipment by May 2008”, she promised.

No. of Intervention sites in Upper Nuimi

On the number of PIWAMP’s intervention sites in Upper Nuimi, VP Njie-Saidy said that in the village of Kerr Selleh, a double barrel box culvert, with a 20 meter Irish crossing and a 5 meter bridge, has been constructed by PIWAMP. She noted that the existence of a stream on this frequently used raod hsd been identified by the community as severe constraint to commuters, to and from villages and farms, j especially during rainy season.

She then observed that the improved road network is facilitating transportation of farm produce to market centers and alleviates inter-village communication problems in the community adding that water retention in the depression has also been enhanced thus allowing crop production.