By Dawda Baldeh
On February 3, 2024, The Fatu Network reported on Gibbie Barry, a 27-year-old rural gardener from Sinchu Gundo in the Niamina East District of The Gambia, situated about 300 kilometres from Banjul along the Transgambia Highway. Gibbie was seeking assistance to install a borehole in his garden. Three months following the report, Gibbie began reaping a bumper harvest from his garden, enjoying the fruits of his labour.
The 27-year-old gardener used the expansive backyard at his village home for gardening and poultry farming. In an interview with The Fatu Network, Gibbie shared his enthusiasm for the assistance provided by our platform during his efforts to secure water.
“I am excited because of the bumper harvest,” he said, adding that gardening is a rewarding adventure. Unlike many youngsters who will prefer office work to side agriculture, for young Gibbie, he wants the garden to be his office.
He explained that making a bumper harvest has motivated him more to strive for success as his major dream is to supply the local market with enough garden products.
“Now I don’t have problems with water. The only existing challenge I have is market access,” he added.
Despite making a bumper harvest, this passionate rural gardener is facing challenges in accessing the market for his vegetables.
“Getting a market to sell vegetables is a problem here and if you want to sell a kilo of cucumber for D30 or D40 to people, they say it’s very expensive but if you go to the market a small cucumber is sold for less than D20.
After harvesting the onions, Mr. Barry packaged them to ensure their freshness. He expressed that the absence of timely market access and cold storage facilities is an increasing issue, often resulting in vegetable spoilage due to excessive heat. Beyond gardening, Gibbie’s enthusiasm for agriculture and his aspiration for independence led him to take up poultry farming. Presently, he has over a hundred birds prepared for the market.
