Summary of Findings for Brufut and Gunjur Women's Organizations
The study looked at women organizations in the communities of Brufut and Gunjur with a view to determine their objectives, the relationship between and problems within the groups, technical assistance needs, credit needs and the problems associated with the group credit schemes, access to equipment for their work and utilization of revenue
A total of thirteen organizations were studied, six from Brufut and seven from Gunjur, which are two coastal towns in the Western Division of The Gambia. The population of the two towns is eighteen thousand six hundred and twenty seven. In both communities women constitute fifty percent of the population.
The most important conclusions arising from this study are as follows:
Overall, women tend to come together, based on their common objectives to empower themselves These objectives range from fostering unity, improving their standard of living to increasing their income
In terms of structure, the bigger organisations tend to have a more complete structure than the smaller ones. While the smaller organisations have only a president and Vice president, the bigger organisations have president, Vice president, treasurer and social secretary.
The overall sizes of these organizations under study range from 20 to 500 members A common criteria which emerged from both Brufut and Gunjur communities is that to become a member of the organization you must be a female. In addition to that most of the organisations require a membership fee. Eight out of the thirteen organizations studied require a membership fee ranging from D5. 00 to D50. 00. An exceptional membership fee of D 100 00 is charged by the Brufut Women Fish Smokers and Driers Kafo which has a membership of 36 women. Some of the organizations also have qualitative criteria e.g. 'exemplary character' as an additional requirement for membership.
Ninety two percent (92%) of the organizations are involved in their respective activities all the year round and seventy percent of these organizations work as a group while twenty two percent work individually within the framework of an organisation.
The study shows that more than half (54 percent) of the organisations do not keep any written record of their activities and decisions while forty six percent (46%) do. Most of the organisations that keep written records came mostly from Brufut with sizes ranging from 175 to 500 members. The study thus seem to suggest that organisations with a complete structure tend to keep written records of their activities and decisions.
Table 1: Organisations (Membership fee charged and number of Members) | ||
Organisations |
Membership Fee Charged |
Number of Member |
Brufut Women Tie and Die Association |
50 |
200 |
Brufut Women Soap Makers Association |
5 0 |
175 |
Brufut Women Gardeners Association |
50 |
175 |
Brufut Women Fish smokers and Driers Kafo |
100 |
36 |
Brufut Market Women Association |
NR |
30 |
Brufut Women Bana Bana Association |
NR |
20 |
Gunjur Women Sesame Growers Association |
NR |
87 |
Gunjur Women Petty Traders Association( 1 ) |
5 |
500 |
Gunjur Women Gardeners Association( 1 ) |
5 |
56 |
Gunjur Women Gardeners Association(2) |
5 |
500 |
Gunjur Women Fish Smokers and Driers Association |
5 |
50 |
Gunjur Women Petty Traders Association(2) |
NR |
100 |
Gunjur Women Fish Smokers and Driers Club |
5 |
500 |
Table 2: Duration of the activities of the organisation and how the activities are undertaken | ||
Duration |
Count |
Percentage |
All the Year round |
12 |
92 |
Seasonally |
1 |
8 |
Total |
13 |
100 |
Group |
9 |
70 |
individually |
3 |
22 |
NR |
1 |
8 |
Total |
13 |
100 |
Table 3: Proportion of the organisations that keep written records of their activities | ||
Keep written records |
Count |
Percentage |
YES |
7 |
54 |
NO |
6 |
46 |
Total |
13 |
100 |
All the organizations encounter problems. These problems range from indaquate implements to lack of capital and transport Sixty two percent (62%) of the organizations suffer from inadequate implements, thirty percent (30%) lack of capital and eight percent (8%) lack of transport.
Table 4: Problems encountered by the organisations | ||
Problems |
Count |
Percentage |
Inadequate implements |
8 |
62 |
Lack of Capital |
4 |
30 |
Lack of Transport |
1 |
8 |
Total |
13 |
100 |
Sixty eight percent (68%) of the organizations are financed through contributions from members and the rest are financed through the buying and reselling of goods (8%), sale of produce (8%), NGO funds (8%) and membership fees (8%) respectively
Table 5: Funding sources of the Organisations | ||
Source |
Count |
Percentage |
Membership |
9 |
68 |
Buying and Reselling |
1 |
8 |
Sale of Produce |
1 |
8 |
Membership Fees |
1 |
8 |
NGO Funds |
1 |
8 |
Total |
13 |
100 |
This study seems to suggest that none of the organizations has access to credit facilities. This is because credit facilities were either not available or the procedures to access them are not known. All the organizations interviewed have expressed the need for credit facilities. The overwhelming number of these organizations prefer this credit be given out to them as a group (92%) whiles (8%) of them prefer the credit individually All the organizations have indicated the willingness to repay the loan if given credit. Sixty-one percent of these organizations need credit to increase production, 15% to buy more materials for their activities, 8% to improve on their managerial problems, 8% to meet their production targets, and 8% to increase the purchase of their materials.
Table 6: Reasons for requesting Loan | ||
Reasons |
Count |
Percentage |
Increase production |
8 |
62 |
Buy more materials |
2 |
16 |
Improve management problems |
1 |
8 |
Meet production target |
1 |
8 |
Increase purchase of Material |
1 |
8 |
Total |
13 |
100 |
The organizations have problems in getting credit These problems are mostly the inability to get access to the credit institutions or agencies (76%). The other problems are lack of managerial skills, and government neglect of the organizations. However, there are not more than one organization that is, (8%) reporting each of these two problems
Table 7: Problems in securing Loan | ||
Problems |
Count |
Percentage |
Credit institutions cannot be accessed |
8 |
76 |
Lack of Managerial Skills |
2 |
8 |
Cannot identify the Sources of Credit |
1 |
8 |
Neglect by the Government |
1 |
8 |
Total |
13 |
100 |
More than half of the organisations are involved in some form of traditional fund raising activities, atleast once in the year. Fifty four percent are involved in traditional methods of generating funds, such as Drummings, and Kora Shows. Those involved are mostly large organisations The revenue realized from such fund raising activities are utilized by the organizations to buy more equipments, materials, and to conduct maintenance activities.
Table 8: Organisations involved in traditional fund raising activity | ||
Activity |
Count |
Percentage |
Drumming and Kora Shows, etc. |
7 |
54 |
Not involved in any traditional fund raising activity |
6 |
46 |
Total |
13 |
100 |
At least half of the organisations interviewed are engaged in some form of savings activity. Fifty four percent (54%) of the organizations are involved in savings while fourty six (46%) are not. Of the fifty four percent who are involved in savings, thirty -nine percent (39%) save with the BICI and the rest in "OSUSU" fifteen percent (l5%) . This suggest that BICI seems to be the most readily accessible credit institution to these women organisations
Table 9: Proportion of organisations involved in savings | ||
Institution |
Count |
Percentage |
BICI |
5 |
39 |
OSUSU |
2 |
15 |
Not Involved in saving Schemes |
6 |
46 |
Total |
13 |
100 |
Fifty Four percent (54%), of the organizations which are involved in savings intend to utilize the money saved as soft loan to members, 15% intend to use it for contingency and (31%) maintenance work.
Table 10: Uses of the funds realised from the fund raising activities | ||
Use |
Count |
Percentage |
Soft loan to Members |
5 |
39 |
Contingency |
2 |
15 |
Maintenance Work |
6 |
46 |
Total |
13 |
100 |
Slightly more than half of the organisations received some form of financial assistance either in cash or in kind. Six organizations have received assistance in cash or kind, based on the request made. Two organizations received financial aid through the EEC. They are the Brufut Women Fish Smokers and Driers Kangbeng Kafo. Each received D10,000 and D3,00O, respectively. The Brufut Women's Tie and Dye Association received assistance in kind from CCF. The other agencies which provided assistance in kind are The Women's Bureau, Department of Community Development, through the provision of materials and equipments.
Table 11: Amount of financial aid received by the Organization | |
Organization |
Amount In Dalasis |
Brufut Women Tie and Die |
(In Kind)** |
Brufut Women Soap Makers Association |
3000 |
Brufut Women Gardeners Association |
(In Kind)** |
Brufut Women Fish Smokers Association |
10000 |
Gunjur women Sesame Growers Association |
(In Kind)** |
The study of women's organizations in both Brufut and Gunjur have shown that women do organize themselves in various groups to address some of their needs and aspirations. Each organization was able to clearly define its objectives, and problems in terms of management and access to resources.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• A specially designed management training for members of the executives in the various women's organizations is essential to ensure an effective and sustainable structure
• Target small group members for training on simple accounting, record keeping and business management skills in the local language The Indigenous Business Advisory Services
(IBAS) and the Non Formal Education Unit have the expertise
• Assist the organization by creating awareness on how to reach the relevant agencies for assistance
• Fund raising activities should be encouraged to enable groupsto finance their activities locally (Kora Shows, Osusu, Working on farms etc).
• Encourage savings schemes for groups to ensure sustainability of activities and group continuity. Women's organizations involved in savings schemes should reach these women in their communities or setup focal points that they can access easily
• Provide deep wells with high water tables that can serve organisations activities all the year around
• Provide appropriate technology for preservation of fish and garden produce and train members of the groups in the techniques This activity can be undertaken in close collaboration with the Food and Nutrition unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, and NGOs involved in such activities
• Create marketing outlets, and proper storage facilities. Provide women with suitable sheds for selling fish to passersby at strategic locations along the roadside
• Provide adequate and suitable materials relevant for the groups' activities in consultation with the organisations to encourage participatory development
• Create a system, to sensitize women's organizations on avenues to secure loans, and how to go about it. The Women's Bureau, The Indigenous Business Advisory Services (IBAS),
The Gambia Women's Finance Company GWFC), Association of Gambian Entrepreuneurs (AGE) and WISDOM are institutions that could assist.
• Groups which emphasize improvement of nutritional standard should be targeted for nutritional education programmes
• Provide funding to groups and individual women and monitor the utilization for effective management.
• Provide improved delivery systems such as good roads for transportation of goods to markets
• Short term technical assistance should be provided to the organization.
• Encourage closer working relationship between interdependent women organizations that have complementary roles
