News and Events

CSRWASHDEP HANDS OVER MOTORCYCLES TO DATA COLLECTORS

• June 1st, 2021
• Fatou B. Cham, Information Officer, Ministry of Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters

The Gambia Climate Smart Rural WASH Development Project (CSRWASHDEP) which aims to increase access to safe and sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene in The Gambia, recently handed over motorcycles to its data collectors.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Omar S.M Gibba acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries stated that it is a privilege to provide a means of transport to data collectors in order to facilitate their job efficiently.
Omar Jarjue, data collector and a beneficiary said that their role generally is to ensure that whenever the project through the Department of Water Resources gets Rural Water Supply Project they help in organizing the committees. 
These committees he stated, would be responsible to ensure that they have Water and Sanitation management committee that would be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the water systems that is provided to them by the government through the projects that they have.
“We also go further to assist them in terms of organising themselves to be able to raise funds towards the maintenance of the facility provided to them by opening a bank account and save in the invent that the project elapses, in the event that they encounter problems after some years, they will have somewhere they can bank on and repair the facility to have a sustainable future,” he explained.
Mr. Jarjue continued that during the implementation of the project, they also assist the contractors and the consultant with the activities they are implementing in the communities.
He added that they also serve as lesions on behalf of the department at regional level and give technical assistance when it comes to water related activities in the region.
“The motorcycles handed over to us will facilitate their movements because without it, they will find it very challenging to reach certain communities they are intervening,” he said.
Nyakassi Gassama also a beneficiary stressed that some of the villages are very had to reach without a means of mobility and the fact that they should be frequenting these communities since they will be the one to serve the department by ensuring that all the time they are assisting, sensitising and making sure that they organize training with them. 
The duo thanked the project coordinator and staffs, and as well the Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries for the efforts that they have put together to ensure that the project becomes a reality.
CSRWASHDEP targets residents of rural and peri-urban communities, and deprived urban communities with poor waste management practices in an environment facing increasing climate change threats of flash flooding and periods of extreme drought1. 
The Project is designed to deliver the objectives through an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach. 
The IWRM approach entails coordinated stakeholder interventions to improve the quality of economic and livelihood-driven interaction with nature’s water cycle (the Hydrological Cycle) in a manner that promotes safe, equitable and sustainable utilisation of the water resources; the approach naturally embeds the need to improve sanitation, and to address the potential climate change impacts.