By Sailu Bah and Rohey Jadama
Women sieving groundnut waste at the Denton Bridge have explained the 
constraints they encounter in their work. The groundnut waste is made mainly of broken shells and bits of groundnuts.
The women, who want to contribute to the welfare of their families rather than sit at home, narrated the challenges they face yesterday at their place of work. The women who come from different parts of the Gambia gather at Denton bridge to sieve the groundnut waste dumped there by the Gambia Groundnut Corporation after shelling at their plant.
They told Foroyaa that they use a sieve to separate the chaff from the seeds of groundnuts left over in the dust.
They said they collect the groundnut leftovers which they transform into soap, which they sell to earn a living for their families.
The hardworking women, most of whom are widows and breadwinners, said they lack help, while they must provide basic needs of their family, including the education of their sons and daughters.
The women said they go to Denton Bridge during both the dry season and the rainy season but this does not stop some of them from going back to their various villages and to engage in farming, meet their families and give them something from the meagre income they gain from soap making. “The rainy season is a bit difficult for us because we do not have access to the groundnut waste when it rains,” explained the women.
Asked why they build sheds, the women said during the dry season women who come from afar sleep there during the night.
These women also lamented their constraints and urged the government of The Gambia, NGOs or aid agencies to come to their aid by providing facilities for them to make a living.
Through their explanation they said they don’t have any water facility around the area; that they trek a long way to get water. They also said they need funding to buy vegetable oil to produce more soap for sale.
These rare hard working exemplary women at Sarro urged the general populace to come and patronize them and promote their locally made products.
They described their locally made soap as very good and capable of being used for many purposes, including laundry and bathing.]]>
