A vibrant celebration filled the air on June 11, as community leaders, government officials and international partners gathered to witness the inauguration of a new market and solar-powered cold storage facility at the Bakau Women Horticulture Garden in the Kanifing Municipality of The Gambia.
The infrastructure, donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, marks an important moment for over 500 women who cultivate vegetables on the 10.5-hectare plot — about 26 acres that serves the Kanifing Municipality and surrounding areas.
Elder Alfred Kyungu, General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s Africa West Area, officially handed over the donation by cutting the ribbon during the ceremony.
“Our objective was to empower these caretaker women with the tools they need to thrive,” he said. “In this handover, the Church is not just handing over infrastructure. We are pleased to be strengthening a community and empowering 525 women whose dedication to work in managing this garden has sustained families and built resilience in the community.”
The Church’s donation included a 10-stall market with concrete counter tables, providing space for women to directly interact with customers, expand their market reach and negotiate better prices, reported ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Also donated was a solar-powered cold storage container that can preserve the freshness of produce, reducing post-harvest losses due to heat and lack of refrigeration — a common challenge in the region.
Deputy Lord Mayor Binta Janneh-Jallow traced the origins of the donation back to June 2023, when she attended the Church’s International Strengthening Families Conference in Abuja, Nigeria.
There, she met with Church leaders and shared the concerns of the Bakau women, including insufficient water storage, limited market access and crop spoilage. That conversation, she said, sparked this donation.
“Today, we unveil a tangible result — a facility that stands as a testament to what is possible when people and institutions unite for the common good,” Janneh-Jallow told those in attendance. “This cold storage facility is a life-changing tool for the hundreds of women who feed our communities. Our gardeners can now negotiate better prices, supply schools, hotels and institutions and review high-value markets that were previously inaccessible.”
The handover ceremony drew prominent attendees, including the lord and deputy lord mayors of Kanifing Municipal Council; the chief executive officer of the Kanifing Municipal Council; national assembly members; local religious leaders; directors and senior government officials from government ministries and institutions; the country director of the World Food Programme; municipal ward councilors for Bakau Old Town; the country director of the Food and Agriculture Organization; representatives from the Diplomatic Corps; and many others.
With these influential figures present, the impact of the project and the growing recognition of the Church’s role in sustainable development efforts across Africa was visible.
His Worship Talib Ahmed Bensouda, lord mayor of Kanifing Muncipal Council said, “This cold storage facility is a game-changer.”
The Bakau Women Horticulture Garden, operated entirely by women, plays a vital role in local food security and family nutrition. With the new facilities, these women now have increased tools to reduce waste, scale their operations and improve economic outcomes.
On the Church News podcast in June 2024, President Camille N. Johnson said, “when you strengthen a woman, you’ve blessed a home, a community and a nation.”
Through this donation, it’s expected that these women will have greater capacity to bless their families, community and The Gambia as a whole.
In keeping with the Church’s global emphasis on self-reliance and humanitarian outreach, Elder Kyungu cited the scripture Galatians 6:10, explaining that Latter-day Saints “believe not only in ‘doing good unto all,’ but also in the power of self-reliance. Today’s handover embodies these principles.”
As smiles and applause filled the garden, the final message was one of love, gratitude and hope. Several dignitaries offered a formal votes of thanks, expressing gratitude to the Church for its donation.
The day ended not only with the formal transfer of property but with a collective sense of unity — a partnership between faith and community that will continue to bear fruit, quite literally, for generations to come.
