Supported by the inspiring, and motivating runners of MegaMeterRun, our 2019 fundraising campaign looks to build on our community relationships in rural Gambia, and to support launching two new community co-operative gardens. Having support from UN WFP and local government to explore a school feeding Pilot, we are hopeful that our community gardens will serve extra impact.

UN Economic indicators suggest that since 2013 poverty has increased., with 48.6 percent of The Gambia’s population live on less than $1.25 a day. Around 70% rely on subsistence farming and are vulnerable to climate changes, draught and food security.

Chronic food insecurity has resulted in high malnutrition rates. In 2015, the prevalence of global acute malnutrition was found to have increased to 10.3 percent – up 0.4 percent since 2012. National stunting rates were recorded at a critical 24.9 percent.

Our end of 2018 Gambia Tour has engaged a couple of key communities that we plan to work with, and a visit towards the end of 2019 will finalise the project plans. A few typical intervention examples:

New Garden Launch: £2000 – £3000 – Establish a new phase 1 garden (cattle protecting fencing, access to quality seeds, co-operative formation, agricultural training, simple water access) – Supporting 100 women, growing to 300-400 after 2 years.

Repair / Upgrade local Garden: £1000 to £1500 – Improving or reviving a local garden (new water well, fencing repair, business/agriculture training).

Solar Garden: £4,000 Includes New Launch (1.) and Solar or a £1,000 supplement to an existing garden to install solar for innovative water technology, reduce the labour intensity, and improve the quality and quantity yield of each 3 annual harvests.

Put simply, the more we raise, the more we can do.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and from all of the inspiring entrepreneurial communities that we work with.

Paul & Isatou