Food Security:The Challenge That Started It All.

The Gambia faces significant poverty challenges, with a national poverty rate of 53.4% (2020). A 2023 report estimated that 41.7% are multidimensionally poor, meaning they experienced deprivation across multiple indicators like access to water, sanction, nutrition, and education. High inflation, fueled by global commodity prices, has further reduced household purchasing power. Food insecurity is a major concern with hunger rates rising from 5% to 8% over the past five years (World Food Program)..

Food Security.

  • 2017-2019

    Phase 1

    2017/2018:

    Solar Powered Water Pump was installed in 2018 to increase the capacity for 15 families to grow food. 
    -​ A wire fence, made possible thanks to the generosity of Catherine Cover Willson, was installed in 2019 to protect the crops from damage caused by wandering livestock.  

    2019:

    -The Gambia Committee divides the VGGP farm into individual garden plots and makes compost to nourish the soil.  

  • 2020-2022

    Phase 2

    The global covid-19 pandemic disrupts supply chain, cost of food and provisions increases. 

    2021:

    Lamin proposes the addition of a poultry component to the VGGP.  In May, an engineer draws designs and estimates costs of the poultry project. During June, communication director, Kim Jonah, created website and Instagram for the VGGP to expand outreach and fundraising. We raise 25% of the $10,000 goal and Lamin purchases sand, rock, and cement for the foundation of the new Enterprise Center.  

    In October the Gambian team completed construction of a four-room building to serve as an Enterprise Center and house the poultry operation. 

    2022:

    VGGP purchases 150 chicks from Senegal and pilots raising them as meat birds.

  • 2023-2024

    2023:

    Meat birds are sold during Ramadan and the revenue earned helps to cover salaries for two teachers 

    2024:

    Sue and Lamin strategize priorities and make plans to submit a small grant to the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program for a water and sanitation project that will protect farmer’s crops and increase growing capacity.

    Plans are made to revive the Poultry Project inside the Garden walls.

Our Solution.

With money donated by people in Vermont (and beyond), VGGP bought and upgraded a solar water pump in 2018 that allowed several farmers in the Bufaloto neighborhood to grow gardens, improving food security for more than 150 people in 14 different family compounds. 

Since then, VGGP has continued to enhance food security by growing hundreds of fruit and nut trees, and distributing seedlings free to community members, so they may create their own edible landscapes within their family’s compound. 

Future Plans.

Our highest priority is to protect farmer’s crops and increase growing capacity by replacing the wire fence with a solid block wall and installing a second water tank / pump within the garden walls. We need to build a sanitation facility for farmers and hope to reopen a Poultry Project inside the garden walls so the chickens help fertilize the soil.  Eventually we envision six small coops for raising 300-400 birds annually. A portion of the sales of high-quality meat will provide income to community members. 

When project manager and Co-funder, Lamin Drammeh, was asked about his long-term goals for the Vermont Gambia Garden Project he described hopes to develop a learning center, "With continued strong support from our Vermont counterparts, the Community committee and I hope to create a learning center. To teach local people permaculture gardening and poultry farm systems. Where people will eat what they grow and find a market for the eggs from the poultry and vegetables from the garden. To be a sustainable and good living for local people in the community." Opening a learning center would expand the reach of the Vermont Gambia Garden Project to other local communities around Bafuloto and Banjul, inspiring local populations in the Gambia to establish and invest in their own sustainable food systems.