Gambia-L:
My sources are at it again! The e-mail below, as usual, came from a source
in the heart of Government.
Ebrima Ceesay
_________________________________________________________________________
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: How poor am I? PART 1
>Date:
>
Ebrima,
How are things with you? I am glad to be back on the L once again. By the
way, I met your friend at Kairaba Beach Hotel yesterday and he seems to be
enjoying himself. Anyway, this is a first in a series of summaries of the
Poverty Assessment Survey results that were formally released by the
Department of Finance on the 24th July. I reproduce below some of the
findings of the Participatory Poverty Assessment Survey (PPA)in which the
poor assess themselves rather than being assessed. Findings and
recommendations specific to the divisions and municipalities is
given below:
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BANJUL:
POVERTY - Prevalence of poverty in Banjul is about 89 per cent
according to the perception of the informants. Unemployment and lack of
skills were cited, among others, as causes of poverty in the area.
Salary/wage employment as well a non-agriculture sector activities are the
predominant economic activities in this area.
FOOD SECURITY - Being a non-agricultural community, household food
security depends mostly on the purchasing power of the people and
availability of food stuff in the market. Food insecurity is at its peak
during the rainy season when there is little money and not much
foodstuff in the market for sale.
SOCIAL SERVICES/WATER AND SANITATION:
Being the capital city, most social services are available to the
residents. Notwithstanding, the poor have limited access to some of
the social services such as schools, safe drinking water, electricity and
sanitation facilities because of the cost involved.
SOLUTIONS:
Provision of affordable skills training centers, job creation and access to
start-up capital will help alleviate poverty in Banjul and provide incomes
needed fof household food security.
KANIFING MUNICIPAL AREA
POVERTY - Prevalence of poverty in KMA is about 92 per cent according to the
perception of the informants. Unemployment, high family dependency and lack
of farmlands were cited as some of the major causes of overty. Salary/wage
emloyment as well as non-agriculture informal sector activities (i.e. petty
trading, batik making and carpevtry amongst others) are the predominant
economic activities in this area.
FOOD SECURITY - Being non-agricultural, household food security in KMA
depends mostly on the purchasing power of the people and availability of
foodstuff in the market. Food security is at its peak during the rainy
season when there is little money and not much foodstuff in the market for
sale.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Since KMA is located in a typically urban area, most social services are
available to the residents. Notwithstanding, the poor have been
marginalized in accesing some of the social services as schools, safe
drinking water, electricity and sanitation facilities because of the cost
involved. Overcrowding at the health centre and inadequate drug supply have
also been cited as the constraints in accessing the facility.
SOLUTIONS:
Establish contacts with development institutions or agencies and create
credit extension support system for investment in business activities. This
will help alleviate poverty in KMA and provide incomes needed for household
food security.
WESTERN DIVISION
POVERTY - Prevalence of poverty in Western Division is 94 per cent
according to the perception of the informants. Unemployment, low food
production, lack of markets for agricultural produce and lack of farmlands
were cited, amond others, as the causes of poverty. Income sources in the
division come from farm and non-farm with farm sources forming the largest
single source of income (almost 40 per cent). Most of the crops produced are
mainly for consumption.
FOOD SECURITY - It was easier for the villagers to discuss the concept of
food insecurity rather than food security, so that was the angle from which
the discussions emerged. Food insecurity is defined as the situation where
food is not available for the household consumption all year round. It is
also defined as when there is lack of money to buy food. Some define it
simply as famine/hunger whilst others say it is lack of means to afford
food. The analysis of the Livelihood Systems for this area reveals that
almost all cereals produced are used primarily for food. Groundnut is the
only crop that was scored equally as a food as well as a cash crop whilst
livestock are mainly reared for cash.
SOCIAL SERVICES:
Inadequate social services, especially education and health, and their
related high costs have been highlighted. In addition, unsanitary toilet
facilities and unsafe sources of water supply have also been of concern to
the participants in the discussion.
NORTH BANK DIVISION
POVERTY - Prevalence of poverty in North bank is 90 per cent according to
the perception of the informants. Poor producer prices, poor yields, and
erratic rainfall were some of the causes of poverty cited by the people. The
sources of income in the division are agricultural and and non-agricultural
with agricultural source forming the largest single source of income. The
crops produced are mainly for consumption with the expection of crops like
groundnuts,
cassava and sesame.
FOOD SECURUTY - As a prodominantly agricultural area, households food
security in North bank Division depends mostly on the availabilty of
resources for production. However, because of inadequate farmimg implements
and inputs, infertile soil and low rainfall, households in this area are not
food secure. It is worth mentioning that almost all the cereals produced are
used primarily for food. Food security is most pronounced during the rainy
season when food stocks are low.
The seasonal calenders indicate that there are times of the year when people
go hungry and need loans. Meaning that if help is to be provided, this is
the time it is needed most-during August and September. But on the other
hand, the discussion has revealed that poverty is more pronounced during the
rainy season and food is scarce, so if loans are provided at this time, they
may use the money to buy food rather engage it in income-generating
activities.
This, however, does not mean that they do not need help during the rainy
season. The issue is, what kind of help and what form should it take.
Presently, availability of arable land is becoming more and more of a
problem because of the increase in population resulting in the use for
residential purposes.
SOCIAL SERVICES:
Inadequate social services especially education and health and their related
high costs have been highlighted. In addition, insanitary toilet factlities
and unsafe drimking water supply have also been of concern to the
participants in the discussions.
SOLUTIONS:
Provision of farm inputs such as groundnut seeds, fertiliser, implements,
etc.; more focus given to the development of rice fields, i.e. to provide
tractor ploughing and power tilling services, construction of dikes, bunds
and causeways; awareness creation on erosion control techniques and contour
ploughing; skills training and entrepreneurship development training for
both men and women; literacy programmes should be revitalised with good
management; strengthening of the PHC system for the proper dispensing of
Health Services by reorganising the committee and training members in health
issues and fund management for the sustenance of the drug revolving fund;
water shortage problems can be alleviated through the construction or
sinking of new wells and the formation of a Water Committee to take care of
its maintenance; reorganization of the Village Development Committee such as
that the leadership and management skills of the committees are developed
through training.
END OF FIRST INSTALLMENT. SECOND INSTALLMENT WILL COVER LRD, CRD AND
URD.(Suggestion: Hold your horses until the second installment is posted so
that you can better appreciate the scope, magnitiude and regional disparity
of poverty in The Gambia )
_________________________________________________________________________
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