At least 20 women drawn from Fass Chago, Fass Njaga Choi, Medina Serigne Mass in Lower Nuimi, Juffureh of Upper Nuimi and Jarreng of Central River Region South, recently completed a two-week intensive training programme on bead making in Berending Lower Nuimi, North Bank Region.

The objective of the training was to better prepare and equip the women with new skills on bead making, increase their income capacity and contribute to poverty reduction at rural levels.  

Speaking at the ceremony, Anna Colley, the coordinator of the community skills component of the Community Skills Improvement Project (CSIP), at the Department of Community Development, underscored the importance the community skills improvement projects attach to the empowerment of women through acquisition of skills, development, provision of literacy and numeracy and micro-finance facilities, to enhance their livelihood and contribute to poverty reduction.  

She noted that communities should ensure proper management of the multipurpose centres to enable women to meet and learn skills that would enhance their economic and social wellbeing. She applauded the women for their hard work and commitment. Aja Kassa Kanteh Sanneh, a principal trainer, commended the women for their high level of participation.

She said her department attaches great importance to capacity development of women in the area of skills development and income generation at grass root level.  She emphasised the need for women to transfer the skills and knowledge gained from the training at the community level so as to enable other women in the multipurpose centres to gain more knowledge.  

Bukary Gaye , the community development officer for North Bank Region, hailed the women for their active participation in the implementation of the CSIP activities to ensure that they are empowered to participate in all sectors of the economy. He assured that his office will continue to assist women in the transfer of skills to ensure it reaches many women in the region.  He challenged the communities to lay down strategies on how to sustain the facilities created by the projects for them to ensure that women and youth have access to relevant skills that contribute to human development and better living environment.

Awa Camar of Berending, thanked CSIP for their immense contribution towards empowering women, citing literacy programme, skills training and micro-finance facilities as vital. She assured that the women of the region would continue to support the CSIP. Kaddy Camara, Women's Programme supervisor at the Department of Community Development in Kerewan, said the new skills transferred on the women on bead making would empower them a lot and will also boost their income level. She noted that the training on bead making is a new skill that her department ventures with the sole responsibility of empowering women to effectively enhance their income capacity.