Description
Volunteers serving as Community Gardening and Agroforestry Facilitators will work alongside the people of The Gambia to improve food security in rural communities through these core activities:
• Encouraging creation of tree nurseries and tree planting using improved techniques, and helping establish woodlots and orchards;
• Promoting new and improved gardening and vegetable production techniques, especially in collaboration with women’s groups or village development committees;
• Promoting and training farmers in beekeeping;
• Educating farmers and community groups on nutrition and nutrition-sensitive agricultural production;
• Increasing the capacity of smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, to:
1. Improve the diversity, productivity, and/or sustainability of their agricultural production;
2. Generate agriculture-related income
3. Allow household decision makers the ability to increase dietary diversity of households
The Gambia has a short rainy season (3-4 months) and a long dry season. Most traditional agricultural activities are done during the short rainy season. Therefore, to enhance the productive capacity of a community, the work of Volunteers focuses on establishing and improving dry season vegetable gardens and tree nurseries. Most farmers are highly skilled in field crop production, but may have less experience with these dry season activities, so Volunteers have a unique opportunity to have a substantial impact by helping community members appreciate and practice these new techniques in a sustainable manner.
Malnutrition is common in The Gambia, especially among children and pregnant women. In addition to working with farmers to address this challenge by implementing nutrition-sensitive agricultural projects, Volunteers will work with mothers and children to improve nutrition education within their community.
Volunteers may also work to promote and support beekeeping in their communities. Bees are essential for pollination and thus enhance gardening and farming efforts. Additionally, products made from beekeeping can be a source of income, and this income also inspires the new beekeepers to protect existing trees and woodlots which house the hives.
Peace Corps The Gambia promotes gender awareness and girls’ education and empowerment. Volunteers will receive training on gender challenges in the country and will have the opportunity to implement gender-related activities that are contextually appropriate. During service, Volunteers will look for ways to work with community members to promote gender-equitable norms and increase girls’ sense of agency.
As part of their work, Volunteers will monitor and report on their efforts and impact.
Peace Corps enjoys a long and positive history with The Gambia. The first Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in 1967, and since then over 1,800 Volunteers have worked with Gambian men and women to make a lasting impact on their communities.
Volunteers serving as Community Gardening and Agroforestry Facilitators will work alongside the people of The Gambia to improve food security in rural communities through these core activities:
• Encouraging creation of tree nurseries and tree planting using improved techniques, and helping establish woodlots and orchards;
• Promoting new and improved gardening and vegetable production techniques, especially in collaboration with women’s groups or village development committees;
• Promoting and training farmers in beekeeping;
• Educating farmers and community groups on nutrition and nutrition-sensitive agricultural production;
• Increasing the capacity of smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, to:
1. Improve the diversity, productivity, and/or sustainability of their agricultural production;
2. Generate agriculture-related income
3. Allow household decision makers the ability to increase dietary diversity of households
The Gambia has a short rainy season (3-4 months) and a long dry season. Most traditional agricultural activities are done during the short rainy season. Therefore, to enhance the productive capacity of a community, the work of Volunteers focuses on establishing and improving dry season vegetable gardens and tree nurseries. Most farmers are highly skilled in field crop production, but may have less experience with these dry season activities, so Volunteers have a unique opportunity to have a substantial impact by helping community members appreciate and practice these new techniques in a sustainable manner.
Malnutrition is common in The Gambia, especially among children and pregnant women. In addition to working with farmers to address this challenge by implementing nutrition-sensitive agricultural projects, Volunteers will work with mothers and children to improve nutrition education within their community.
Volunteers may also work to promote and support beekeeping in their communities. Bees are essential for pollination and thus enhance gardening and farming efforts. Additionally, products made from beekeeping can be a source of income, and this income also inspires the new beekeepers to protect existing trees and woodlots which house the hives.
Peace Corps The Gambia promotes gender awareness and girls’ education and empowerment. Volunteers will receive training on gender challenges in the country and will have the opportunity to implement gender-related activities that are contextually appropriate. During service, Volunteers will look for ways to work with community members to promote gender-equitable norms and increase girls’ sense of agency.
As part of their work, Volunteers will monitor and report on their efforts and impact.
Peace Corps enjoys a long and positive history with The Gambia. The first Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in 1967, and since then over 1,800 Volunteers have worked with Gambian men and women to make a lasting impact on their communities.
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Benefits
Health coverage, Housing, Living allowance, Non-competitive eligibility (federal jobs), Stipend, Training
Education Benefits
College Degree
Education Requirements
College Graduate
Desired Languages
English
Other Conditions
Subject to criminal background check