Tuesday 26 May

In doing this participatory needs assessment I have systematically worked through the processes of identifying problems, looking at what has been done and what is being done now to solve problems, prioritising problems, identifying causes and beginning action planning. In partnership with local people in the communities we have used the following techniques to gather information, mostly from focus groups of women, village elders and men.

Over the past week or so we have carried out the following activities:
Social and Tribe map of Abene village (indicating wealth by compounds and locations of tribes);
Group interview with Abene Kafo leaders (women);
Meeting with Alkalo of Abene (Chief);
Social and Tribe map of Dianna village;
Meeting with Hawa Touré, director of Dianna English Language School to discuss feasibility of various ideas for projects that could involve her;
Group interview with women from Dianna;
Group interview with men from Dianna;
Group interview with Abene Elders, including Imam
Seasonality Calendar;
Causes tables;
Visioning Matrix;
Farming Calendar;
Daily Routine Diagram;
Historical profile of education in the villages;
Venn diagram;
Matrix scoring;
and Transect Diagram.

My team has grown to include Lamin Sonko who has been translating in meetings for me between English and Mandinka. He’s one of the locals who spends time in the Gambia, which is why he speaks English, but he went to school in Abene which is where his mother lived when she was alive.

Lamin has facilitated a focus group of men in Dianna. I have tried to give him some basic training in facilitation.

Problems Identified:

Children’s education:
Class sizes are large, without enough classrooms or teachers; teacher’s strike due to infrequent pay; school buildings are in varying stages of disrepair; schools lack sufficient teaching materials including books and pencils; school attendance is poor due to inability to pay school fees, food in school including lunch and breakfast, and transport to get to school in the case of the secondary school in Kafountine.

Adult education:
Many adults lack literacy; a common language between tribes in the community; vocational training to gain professional employment; European languages and students who are able to go to University drop out early.

Community educational facilities:
The current library facilities are inadequate and although there is internet access it is inaccessible to the majority and the connection is slow and unreliable.

Action Planning

Now that we have identified the problems we need to look at how we can find sustainable solutions. All three communities currently fund the provision of education for children with income generated by producing and selling palm oil as a community.

As a result of the PNA two focus groups, one of men and one of women have formed committees to look into the feasibility of generating funds in a sustainable way from producing and selling fruits and vegetables.

The focus group of men in Albadar are looking into the feasibility of transferring the skills they have gained from their palm oil business to produce and sell mangos and oranges. These crops are plentiful in their village, but the main barriers to the business are not having previously considered it together, lack of transport to take the produce to Dakar where it can be sold, and a store to keep the crops in.

The focus group of women in Dianna are considering the feasibility of growing vegetables to sell to fund educational projects in their community.

There is of course much more… but I will add more here as and when I have the chance.