Concern over the unsatisfactory demographic situation characterized by high levels of population growth rate, mortality, fertility and malnutrition, low life expectancies at birth and low status of women prompted the Government in 1996 to revise the National Population Policy and formulated a programme for its implementation. The goal of the policy is to improve the quality of life and raise the standard of living.

Various studies and censuses from 1994 to date have recorded the following achievements: Population growth rate has declined from 4.2% in 1993 to 2.8%; maternal mortality declined from 1050 per 100,000 to 730 per 100,00; infant mortality rate declined from 92 per 1000 to 84 per 1000; under five mortality decline to 135 per 1000. Overall death rate declined from 21 per 1000 to 19 per 1000. Knowledge and use of modern contraceptives have increased from 76% and 6.7% to 90% and 13.4% respectively resulting in a slight decline in total fertility from 6.4 to 6.0 children per woman.

Under the Population Programme, a Local Initiative Fund (LIF) is being implemented. The Fund supported by the Participatory Health Population and Nutrition Project (PHPNP) support projects on horticulture, milling machines, power tillers, construction of health facilities, causeways and bridges, seed stores and sensitization on reproductive health, population and HIV/AIDS. An evaluation of the Fund showed tremendous benefits to the communities. From 2001 to date, an amount of D10m was provided under the LIF as grant for over 100 Community Based Organizations and local NGOs to address their population related activities.

The project has been sponsored by the Local Initiative Fund of the Participatory Health Population and Nutrition Project to a tune of D50,000.00. The project was implemented and completed in the year 2002. The objective of the project is to improve access to and provide quality health care services to the Sukuta community and it’s environs.

Before the provision of the waiting shed in the village, women from Sukuta and surrounding villages used to travel to Pakaliba a village about 10-15 kilometers from Sukuta to attend the MCH monthly clinic. This used to create a lot of problems for both the pregnant and lactating women who have to travel on foot or donkey carts to Pakaliba to attend the clinic. This has resulted into children not completing their immunization schedules because of the distance and financial implications.

With the provision of the waiting shed, the villagers have said that a lot of improvements have been realized such as; almost every child in the village and the surrounding villages have completed their immunisation schedules, access to health care services have improved, health seeking behavior of women greatly improved and reduction in infant and maternal mortality rates.

This machine costing D55,000.00 was given to the community of Bambako in 2001. The objective of providing the machine to Bambako and surrounding villages is to reduce the heavy workload of women and also improve their health status. Since the provision of the machine in the village, a management committee comprising entirely of women was set up to look after the day to day operations of the machine. The machine under the management of the committee was able to generate an amount of D21,000.00 which the committee used to open an account with the VISACA.

Part of the amount has been withdrawn to support the construction of a causeway to enable women access their rice fields to enhance food production and ensure food security. Another amount was also withdrawn and was given to the village Health Worker (VHW) to buy essential drugs for the primary Health Care post in the village

According to the women the machine has relieved them of the difficulties encountered in the processing of cereals and has save them time to concentrate on other domestic services, child care and income genarating activities.

This project costing D55,000.00 also received funding from the Local Initiative Fund. Four bridges leading to the rice fields are supposed to be constructed under this project. The objective of the project is to enable Dankunku and its satellite villages to have access to their rice fields for improved food production and enhance food security. The technical back-stopping is being provided by LADEP and labour provided by the villagers. It is hoped that the project when completed will yield the following benefits:

Women will have better access to the rice fields, improved food production and enhance food security.

This is the biggest amongst all the projects that the Local Initiative Fund has ever given support to since its inception. The total project cost which amounts D300,000.00, was jointly applied by three Sub-Ward Development Committees in Jeshwang. The project was initially designed to be co-funded by the KMC, Jammeh Foundation For Peace and the LIF.

The objective of the project is to enable the community of Jeshwang and the environs to have better access to quality health care services and to improve the health condition of the communities.

The multi-purpose health facility is currently under construction. It is hoped that the following benefits will be realised when the project is completed; reduce over crowding at the Serekunda Health Centre, contribute towards the reduction in infant and child mortality rates and increase access to health care services.

This project costing D50,000.00. has been sponsored by the LIF. The objective of the project is to enable women of Kuntaur and the satellite villages to have better access to their rice fields for improved food production and enhance food security.

The project is being managed by a management committee. The boat under the management committee was able to generate an income of about D20,000.00 since its inauguration in 2002. The fund generated is being kept at the Farafeni Trust Bank. Part of the funds is being used to buy tie and dye materials for the group members to engage in non-farming activities also. According to the women beneficiaries, the project is yielding the following benefits; better access to the rice fields, improved food production, enhanced food security and safe and quick crossing to and from the rice fields and generation of income.

This project was requested by the women’s group of Manneh Kunda Village in Central River Division. The objective of the project is to improve both the nutritional and economic status of women. A total of D48,000.00 was provided by LIF to implement the project in 2001. Out of the amount 2 wells were sunk and bundles of barbed wire were purchased. A bumper harvest was made during its first year of implementation. A variety of vegetables such as onions, okra, cabbage, garden eggs, and others like banana were grown in the garden.

The objective of the garden was to improve their economic and nutritional status, as the extension workers always give nutrition education advising the women not to sell all their produce but to consume part of it too. According to the women, the provision of a vegetable garden has increased their economic independence as well as improved their nutritional and food security status.

These communities amongst others have also benefited from LIF funds to embark on sheep breeding and fattening. The objective of this particular venture is to increase the economic power of the communities and to improve their nutritional status.

The following benefits were realized through the provision of the projects; increased income, improved nutritional status. Monies realized from the sale of animals is given back to group members as a revolving loan to embark on other income generating activities, easy access to rams during feasts such as Tobaski, naming and wedding ceremonies. Part of the funds realized is also used on other village development activities.

Construction of Day Care Centres for Day Nursery Schools in Sankwia and Karantaba in the LRD

The LIF has also supported the construction of a number of Day Care Centres and or Nursery Schools for a number of beneficiary communities such as Sankwia and Karantaba in LRD. The objectives of the project is as follows:-

The following benefits were realised from the project; improved nutritional status of children, the burden of child caring duties on women is reduced and women’s engagement in other economic activities increased and the promotion of health, development and well being of young children in the communities.

The challenges include: continuing resistance of the use of modern contraceptives including condoms; poverty and economic deprivation particularly of the women; the HIV/Aids pandemic; youthful age structure of the population resulting to a high dependency ratio; gender inequity and equality and dwindling external resources for Population and Development.

Intensification of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) and Behavioural Change Communication (BCC) reproductive health, population and development, poverty reduction strategies and the integration of Population and Development activities. Increase funding for Population and Development and intensification of efforts geared towards increasing community participation and inputs in population and development activities to ensure ownership and sustainability. BACK

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