By Amadou Manjang
The Association of Non- Non-Governmental Organisations (TANGO) has signed a contract to build a new Civil Society Organisation Complex in Basse, URR. It is part of its effort to decentralize its base.
The land for the house is given by the Basse Local Government and the Ministry of Gender and Social Welfare.
The contract is part of the Gender Promotion Initiative (G.P.I 2.0) Project funded by UNFPA. The three umbrella bodies for the project are Network Against Based Violence, Action-aid, and TANGO.
The project seeks to build a Civil Society Organisation Complex in the Upper River Region, Lower River Region, and West Coast Region.
Chairperson of TANGO Madam Yadicon Njie Eribo described the event as historic and a significant day for CSOs in the Gambia.
She said they will continue to support CSOs and will not allow their operation space to continue shrinking.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Executive Director of TANGO, Ndey Sireng Bakurin, thanked UNFPA for giving them the contract. She said they would start the project in Basse. She said this is key in decentralizing, capacity building, and partnership.
‘We hope moving toward it will be an easy sail, of course, there is going to be challenges but we can overcome them together,’ she added.
She assured me that the property or the house would be managed properly and it was going to be an office for everyone.
UNFPA Representative, Joy Micheal, said the contraction of the CSO house is geared towards strengthening the institutional capacity of the CSOs.
She said they have done an assessment which reveals that CSOs need a house because many of them are without offices. Some are renting and renting is a challenge for them.
She urged the contractor to successfully implement the contract and complete the house in due time.
Deputy Governor of Basse Lamin Jaiteh welcomed the project and said the people of Basse are glad to have a CSO house.
