Part of UNCDF’s work in the least developed countries (LDCs) is to reach rural communities to assess their needs and to try enhancing sub-national capacities. In the North Bank region of the Gambia, eight new motorcycles were provided to Community Development Assistants (CDAs) due to the support of the European Union (EU) in the Gambia. Eight other motorbikes were provided, two in the Lower River Region and six in the Central River Region.

The Jobs, Skills and Finance Programme (JSF), in collaboration with Kerewan Area Council and Department of Community Development (DCD), assessed the needs of the region and found that improving transportation for CDAs is essential to the well-being of that specific region. The eight motorcycles were handed over with crash helmets, shoes, reflectors and gloves.

Kerewan is a town located about 60 km from the capital, Banjul. It is a remote region that can typically be reached solely by ferry crossing. Making transportation available means that frontline officials will have more control over accessing the projects that will be implemented under the JSF Programme, enhancing the capacity of local government partners to implement those much-needed projects. Furthermore, this could help enhance the quality of future investments delivered through local small- to medium-enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas of the Gambia.

According to Raymond Jatta, the Local Government Finance Specialist in the Gambia, the initiative aims to provide mobility for CDAs to “help guide the Ward Development Committees during assessment of needs, identifying adaptation projects, supporting communities in developing plans and budgets, monitoring and reporting on implementation. They also support in facilitating step down training. They also share information from the project to the communities and from the communities to the project.”

Ebrima KS Dampha, the Governor of the North Bank Region, remarked that the motorcycles will help support government efforts in decentralization of services and assist in the enhancement of community-driven development. Moreover, he noted that mobility through better transportation can foster regional empowerment.

The JSF Programme is funded by the EU and aims to contribute to stabilizing the economic, social and security situation of the country during the democratic transition by facilitating social inclusion and employment of the youth and women, with a specific emphasis on promoting gender equality and addressing climate change.

One of the unique features of the programme is that it intervenes through national mechanisms and implementing partners; including Ministry of Land, Regional Government and Religious Affairs.

Through the JSF programme, funds are directly challenged through the Central Bank of The Gambia to ward accounts for the implementation of climate resilient interventions. The ward development committee requires some capacity building, implementation support, supervision, monitoring and reporting. To this end, partnership have been sought with different agencies including the Department of Community Development, Area Councils, TAC, NAO to provide implementation support.