Assalaamu Alaikum (may peace be upon you all),

We are extending our warmest greetings to those who have clicked this link and are interested in donating to build a community market in a rural village located in the smallest country on the mainland of the continent of Africa.

We are reaching out from The Gambia, also known as the smiling coast of West Africa due to our hospitable nature and kindred spirits. Our names are Nyima Nyassi and Aisha Kambi. We are Community Health Nurses (CHNs) located in the Lower River Region (LRR) of The Gambia. Our main focus is primary heath care in communities situated in remote areas with lesser access to health care. We live in the community, we learn the language of the community, and we serve the community using culturally appropriate and evidence-based public health interventions. Our work ranges from providing access to over-the-counter medicine, hosting reproductive and child health clinics, organizing community cleans ups, facilitating health talks for community sensitization on a variety of health topics, campaigning for relevant vaccinations, and conducting nutrition surveillance for children 5 and under. We are our community’s first call for primary health care and we are proud to serve our nation in this capacity. One of the benefits of our work is being able to truly understand the needs of the communities we are serving.

Here we are pictured with a mutual colleague during our most recent vaccination campaign against polio in The Gambia:

Nyima is on the far left with the short-sleeved dress, and Aisha is on the far right with the red-checkered, long-sleeve top.

After conducting a health-needs assessment, we found that Medina Sancha, a majority ethnically Wolof village located in Kiang East, LRR, The Gambia, West Africa, is in need of a local market area. For context, Medina Sancha is a relatively new village which was first established in 1975 with settlers from Balanghar in the Central River Region (CRR) of The Gambia. According to the Village Development Committee (VDC) Chairman, there are approximately 130 compounds in the community with approximately 8000 people (close to 5000 women and 3000 men - about 5000 are estimated to be of age 12 and under). These calculations may be slightly underestimated as according to a Gambian census taken in 2013, this community’s population was at 5,800 and it has continuously grown throughout the past 12 years.

Medina Sancha is a largely farming community which produces a large amount of the country’s groundnuts - a major cash crop and export in The Gambia. The main source of income for community members is that which is received after harvesting and selling groundnut. Despite this, the economic status of most families remains well below the poverty line due to groundnut harvesting being the only source of income for most people (usually men) within this community. Consequently, women and children tend to suffer most from the gender inequity in harvesting/selling groundnut. To counter this, we would like to fill in the gender equity gap by providing women and their families an opportunity to increase their household income and improve access to fresh produce, crops, and more by creating a local market.

Since the establishment of Medina Sancha, there has not been a solid structure for petty selling of produce, crops, and more. Women usually sell from their homes and/or in the middle of the community under mango trees (pictured below).

This poses many health issues once the rainy season approaches as access becomes limited to purchasing necessary produce and crops which affects the community’s nutritional status. Not only does the lack of a community market have negative nutritional health implications, but it also affects the socioeconomic status of women within the community which is an often overlooked part of public health.

With your help, we can build a community market that can change the lives of thousands of individuals - not only in Medina Sancha but in neighboring communities as well. We already have the plan and the budget from a nearby mason which can be shared upon request. Once the funds are completely raised we can begin building the community market that is destined to change the trajectory of so many lives!

It is with great pleasure that we have made a connection with a Gambian located in the diaspora who wishes to remain anonymous from the Atlanta Gambian Emergency Relief Association (AGERA) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. They are sphereheading this fundraiser and will make sure all funds are allocated in a proper manner.

If there are any questions, concerns, or suggestions please feel free to leave us a comment and we will be sure to address them to the best of our ability.

Thank you in advance for your donations!

With kind regards,

Nyima and Aisha - your able and committed Gambian CHNs