Mariamakunda is a village in the West-African country the Gambia where several years ago rarely any development took place and with considerable lack of opportunities. The Care for Natural foundation has started a garden project for local women to provide them the necessities to cultivate their own food for own use and to allow to sell the remainder on local market. Allowing people to be self-sufficient and furthermore serving social aspect of bringing people together. We are working on group-spirit, providing training or information sessions about subjects they come across in daily life. By enabling them we help create hope for the future.
We started off with 50 women having their own garden. In due course we selected the women willing to give it the input it needs and left those not actively involved in up-keeping their plot. We would like to see that the concept of the women garden remains a success with less and less support from our side. Eventually they will be self sustaining. We maintain to be responsible to do the upkeep of the garden fences and maintenance of solar equipment. We also support our ladies exceptionally on individual basis when misfortune strikes too hard for them to manage to get up. We just, like friends do, help them with a small donation or other form of help, back on their feet. ( part cost of operation, amputation, crutches, roofs blown off, or such exceptional cases)
You can help us support our women and their families by adopting a garden. This means that you contribute a yearly amount for the upkeep of their garden terrain, the training and emergency help, water supply and management. Do you wish to help sustain this project, we offer the opportunity through this page, to adopt one or more garden for €25,- per garden per year.
At all times you are very welcome to come and visit. Though in the raining season the women usually farm up country with their relatives on large plots, either peanuts or rice. During that time they abandon the gardens. During this period they will grow Pigeon pea bean trees throughout the garden, which will then be taken care of by nature itself. Till they return. The ladies will then select which trees to keep and use the rest of the plants as fodder for their animals or as compost for their new garden.
We would be delighted to show you around! We have 2 local guides available who can lead you on the exclusive trip to our Kololi training centre and shop and explain all that is going on in Mariamakunda. It’s a unique trip about practical life and possibilities the country offers.
