By Nelson Manneh
Women vegetable gardeners in the villages of Bonto, Tunjina and Kuloro solicit immediate assistance from philanthropists, non-Governmental Organizations and government institutions to fence their gardens, in order to prevent stray domestic animals like cows, goats and other ruminants from entering and destroying their produce.
The women gardeners from these three villages made this call to this reporter during the weekent, when they came together to cut sticks from a nearby bush in order to provide a makeshift barrier against these stray animals. These women who struggled to raise the fence of their gardens in order to bar the stray animals from entering, told this reporter that they do not have the means to put up a strong fence to prevent the stray animals from entering their gardens.
Hon. Abdou Sowe, the National Assembly Member for Kombo East Constituency who visited the women, said it is very sad for someone to toil and labour in his or her farm or garden and see it destroyed in seconds by stray animals.
“I have heard their concerns and as their representative and my intention is to touch the lives of each of my people in my constituency. I may not be able to do everything on my own but I will do my best to support them,” he said.
The Member for Kombo East who looked worried during his visit to the women’s gardens, said he represents everybody in Kombo East and will do all he can for all of them.
Kaddy Touray, the Alkalo of Tunjina village said women are suffering at their gardens.
“It is very sad to grow vegetables and water them to fruition only to see it destroyed by stray animals in one day,” she said. Alkalo Touray said they are exhausted, and that is why they are soliciting assistance in order to get a solit fences fence for their gardens.
All the women who spoke to this reporter reiterated the same and said as farmers, they live by their sweat and feed, cloth and educate their children from their gardens. They reiterated that all they need is protection from stray animals.
