The Association of Farmers Education and Training (AFET) last Thursday distributed eight portable hand pumps to four outstanding women gardens, at a ceremony held at AFET's Brikama office. The distribution was part of the association's continuous efforts to empower women's gardens in a bid to facilitate robust yield.

Over the years, AFET has trained  over one hundred and twenty-five women in the region on pest, business and garden management, among others.

The beneficiaries were Somita women's garden, Jakoi Sibirik women's garden, Toyataba women's garden and Faraba Banta women's garden.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Alhagie Manlafi Gassama, president of AFET, urged the beneficiaries to make maximum utility of the materials. Mr Gassama noted that the trainings conducted by AFECT for women gardeners were indeed important.

He urged the beneficiaries to lay down strategies to involve the male folks in their respective gardens, adding that Gambians should now shift their attentions from seasonal gardening to continuous gardening. He applauded the efforts of the women of Faraba, noting that their activities were worthy of emulation.

For his part, Dodou K. Darboe, program officer at AFET, said five step-down training were conducted for each of the beneficiary women gardeners and that five women were trained from each group. He noted that the AFET secretariat then made a follow up to know whether the trainees had effectively transmitted the knowledge gained from the training. According to him, the five women trainees from each of the gardens had in fact effectively transmitted the knowledge gained from the training. He urged the beneficiaries to take care of the materials.

Tamba Jawneh, a trainer at AFET, also speaking at the ceremony, said AFET had fifty affiliate gardens countrywide but he said four beneficiaries were identified as the best. He disclosed that Church World Service (CWS) were their main funding agency.

Other speakers included Aja Jonsaba Ceesay, the Vice president, Dawda Kujabie, the secretary, and Merr Kaddy Marong, representative of Faraba women's garden, gave the vote of thanks.