My name is Paula Jarju (Budhall), a graduate with honours from the University of Toronto, Canada. I would like to welcome you to the Penyem Jamorai Relief Organisation (PJRO), whose focus is poverty reduction among the rural agrarian communities of the nine villages surrounding Penyem.
Women of Penyem clearing the land for cultivation. This is a community effort for food sustainability in the rural Gambia.
Penyem men and women clearing the land for cultivation .
Young Penyem men tilling the soil with the traditional Jola plough called " Kajandaak" Behind the men are the women sowing their grain.
The agrarians tilling the soil with ox plaugh in Penyem village at the start of the rainfall. Looking at the fatail land, agriculture needs to be supported.
Young Penyem Boys tilling the soil for cultivation. They are using the traditional Jola implement called "Kajandaak"
Penyem farmers working at the begining of the rainfall
Young Penyem women sowing grain on a newly tilled farm.
Group of Penyem women that brought food for the workers.
Farmers group together for a break at the beginning of the season
Farmers plowing the earth.
Farmers removing weeds from the newly planted crop
Left to right: Penymen residents Ansunding Kujabi, Bakary
Gibba
(WW II veteran). Behind Gibba's farm in Penyem.
Impact of drought on banana plants
Penyem Mai shows the impact of drought on banana plants
Impact of drought on banana plants
Impact of not enough water on the banana fruit
Impact of not enough water on the banana fruit
Fertile garden irrigated using well water.
Ground water is fairly deep and requires much digging to reach it
Boy digging well for his mother.
Women making a bed for plants.
Bringing water up from a well
Once made, the beds hold water around the plants.
The soil is fertile--once it is well watered
Impact of drought on banana plants
Penyem men collecting wood for charcoal.
Penyem men collecting wood to burn to make charcoal for
cooking, warmth, and for sale.
Penyem residents piling up dry tree trunks to be burnt for charcoal
Penyem men stacking wood to burn to make charcoal.
Penyem men stacking wood to burn to make charcoal.
To create the charcoal, the wood covered with earth and burned under low oxygen conditions. It takes several days to complete the process.
The charcoal is collected into bags by the Penyem men.
Penyem men with bags of charcoal for sale
