By Olimatou Coker
The mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC)Talib Bensouda, Friday inaugurated a D10 million market and cold storage project for 520 women at the Bakau women’s garden. The market and cold storage facility is expected to address the issue capacity and challenges of storage.
Mayor Bensouda said the storage facility is a game-changer for the women beneficiaries.
“It will reduce post-harvest losses, extend the freshness of produce, and improve women’s bargaining power and access to higher-value markets from schools and hotels to export channels,” he said.
The market located at the garden, he added, “improves the profit margins of the gardeners by enabling them to go direct to retail and will open the doors to more stable incomes, expanded markets, increased dignity in the agricultural value chain and for a stronger role for women in our food systems”.
He thanked the council’s partners, LDS Charity for their generosity and faith in KMC’s leadership.
“To the World Food Programme, thank you for guiding the implementation with technical excellence and care. We are truly grateful.”
To the women gardeners of Bakau, Mayor Bensouda added, “this is your facility. Your strength and perseverance are the foundation upon which this project stands. May it serve as a platform for growth, innovation, and leadership. We, at the Council, remain by your side.”
He also applauded his deputy Binta Janneh Jallow for her tremendous work to ensure the success of the project.
