As most of you are aware the villagers of Sam Mbollet could not farm vegetables as is customary within the rural villages of The Gambia, due to the lack of wells for the watering of such horticulture.

We are pleased to report that after much hard work by our wonderful fund raisers and the villagers themselves, the GLOVE FARM is now operational although in its infancy.

The colour of the landscape is starting to change.

The area is approx 2 hectares and it is fenced with basic wood and barbed wire.  Two local wells have been successfully sunk and have been fitted with cement ‘collars’ and ‘aprons’.  There is a 4 mtr high water tower supporting the 2000 ltr water tank, both of which are in situ.  There is also a manual hand-pump which is used (with a fantastic adaptation) to draw water from the well and fill the overhead water tank.

Construction Of The Water Tower

The purpose of the tank is to feed a small scale gravity fed drip irrigation system which will hopefully commence operation in late September or early October, when the rains have finished.  The initial area covered will be 500 sq mtrs.  One of the fantastic things about this system is that it is extendable, so as funds come into the Charity we can add 500 sq mtr areas at a time.  This is a major development as now the Village of Sam Mbollet can grow vegetables and fruit all year round.  It also allows the villagers to grow crops they have never previously been able to, eg bananas + oranges, both of which will contribute to improved health for everyone in the village.

Taking Shape

This is just the beginning for what could prove to be a very successful area for the village, not only because it will improve their diet but it will be their first small scale enterprise.  We will work with the villagers to grow items which are in short supply outside of the rainy season eg water melons. These will be grown using the irrigation system during the dry season and will bring a much needed income to the village.  With the help of our recent resident visitors to the village, Jack + Stuart[1], the first 15 banana plants were planted at the beginning of the rains.

There may be the possibility of selling some of the produce to the Hotels, something which we will be looking into once production is under way.

We continue to need funds for this wonderful project, to replace the local fencing and barbed wire with chain link fencing, the only sure way of keeping the animals out.

We also need to actively promote expansion of the irrigated areas to maximise production.  This will allow the villagers to grow sufficient crops to sell a surplus, which will in turn generate a small income for the village and improve their health and poverty levels as a result.

There may be the possibility of selling some of the produce to the Hotels, something which we will be looking into once production is under way.

We continue to need funds for this wonderful project, to replace the local fencing and barbed wire with chain link fencing, the only sure way of keeping the animals out.