By Tombong Saidy,
Few moments during our China seminar were as transformative as the visit to Wuyi County—once a remote and impoverished area, now a vibrant model of rural revitalisation. What we saw was not a miracle, but the outcome of deliberate, well-executed poverty alleviation strategies that have lifted over 800 million people out of poverty—an achievement unprecedented in human history.
Central to China’s success is the concept of “common prosperity”—a deeply rooted ideal in Chinese culture that envisions prosperity not for the privileged few, but for all. It goes beyond material wealth, embracing both economic development and human dignity, ensuring no region or demographic is left behind.
China’s approach is not about handouts, but about empowerment. It emphasises hard work, innovation, entrepreneurship, and equal access to opportunity. This is where The Gambia must draw inspiration—by creating an ecosystem that enables every citizen, regardless of geography or income, to thrive.
Three Case Studies that Changed My Perspective
1. The Relocation of Mountain Villages: Building Sustainable Lives
In Wuyi County, villages once isolated by harsh geography were transformed through a “Relocation and Revitalisation Project”. The process was phased:
Stage 1: Moving families from remote, underdeveloped areas into more accessible communities.
Stage 2: Providing vocational training, job placement, and support for entrepreneurship.
Stage 3: Creating sustainable urban-rural linkages to encourage small business, tourism, and market access.
Today, Wuyi is a model of self-reliance and dignity, built on government support and community participation.
Fortunately, The Gambia’s flat topography means we don’t need to relocate mountain villages. But we do need to invest in rural roads, electricity, irrigation, and affordable housing, and promote agri-businesses, youth entrepreneurship, and rural industrialisation.
2. Pairing Support Policies: Unity in Development
China’s “East-West Pairing Assistance Program” is a model of inter-regional solidarity. Wealthier provinces directly support poorer ones through funding, knowledge sharing, and infrastructure development.
In The Gambia, a “Kombo-Upcountry Pairing Strategy” could have similar effect—where urban municipalities help rural councils build markets, schools, and clinics. Government policy could incentivise private sector investment in agriculture, eco-tourism, and small-scale manufacturing in rural Gambia.
3. Education as an Equaliser
China’s poverty alleviation prioritises educational equity. Through scholarship programmes, school construction, and teacher training in underdeveloped areas, children are empowered to break the cycle of poverty.
This is a call for The Gambia to strengthen TVET programmes, rural teacher deployment, and girl-child education. Quality education must become the frontline tool in our war on poverty.
If a vast country of 1.4 billion people and complex terrains can do it, so can The Gambia—with just 2.8 million people and a manageable land size of under 12,000 square miles.
China’s experience shows that poverty is not inevitable; it is a challenge that can be defeated with the right mix of political will, data-driven planning, and community engagement.
Here’s how The Gambia can adapt:
Establish a National Rural Revitalisation Strategy, focusing on infrastructure, agriculture, digital inclusion, and rural enterprise.
Launch a Rural Entrepreneurship Fund to support women, youth, and returning migrants.
Create a National Poverty Data Dashboard, to target interventions precisely and transparently.
Set measurable goals: If China can reduce extreme poverty to under 1%, The Gambia can realistically aim to lift 95% of our poor population out of poverty within a decade.
China’s journey from rural deprivation to national pride teaches us one thing above all: poverty is not a death sentence—it is a policy challenge. What matters is not the size of the economy, but the will of the leadership and the mobilisation of citizens.
The Gambia can rise. We have the human capital, the fertile land, and the spirit of resilience. What we now need is a bold, inclusive national strategy rooted in lessons learned from models that work—like China’s.
Let’s make rural revitalisation a Gambian success story.
