En Gambie

In my 25 years, I’ve never travelled to another country strictly for business. The week I spent in The Gambia, several locals asked me if I was interested in a safari to which I replied, “Sorry, I don’t have time. I’m here on business.” Ha! I’ve always wanted to say that and Peace Corps gave me the opportunity. Sweet.

Why did I go to The Gambia?

I, along with fellow PCV Benjamin Bogardus, was invited to attend the West African Food Security Summit. The summit was scheduled to be in Mali, but with the coup (and evacuation of Peace Corps), The Gambia was next in line.

FOOD SECURITY. It’s a buzzword PCVs know well. But what does it mean?

                  “Food security is the existence of safe, nutritious food for all people at all times and a food system (a community’s means of food production, distribution, and consumption) that protects people and promotes their culture, economy and environment.”

PC TOGO Food Security Task Force

Food is life in Togo. Of course, food is life everywhere. Everyone needs to eat. But in Togo, food IS life. Agriculture is the primary occupation of the population. Food is the topic of discussion at every tchouk, tchakpa or sodabé stand no matter if women, men or children are present. If it rains, farmers thank their Gods—not because it’s hot and they want to cool down, but because they know their produce gets the nourishment it needs.

What’s the problem in Togo? To list a few:

Unaffordable food prices: seasonal price rises, etc. Land use and farm labor arrangements; sharecropping. Unequal food distribution within a household (certain family members receive less or lower-quality food such as young girls and children). Chronic malnutrition (particularly in the north). Unaffordable protein sources (tofu, meat, eggs, etc). Food borne diseases resulting from poor sanitation during food preparation. Access to food crop preservation and storage.

How did the summit help with food security in West Africa?

The summit, itself, offered PCVs from eight West African countries (i.e. Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Senegal and Togo) a chance to exchange information on food security and network. Every country had something to offer at the summit; be it creative food transformations (Moringa juice, soy bread, etc), camp ideas for kids (Eco-Action) or in-depth trainings.

It wasn’t all work.

The summit also gave us the chance to experience The Gambia. Along with our tour guides (Gambian PCVs), we explored the markets of Banjul. We tasted exotic fruits like jackfruit. We walked along the beautiful SeneGambia beach and took a field trip to the Kumu Kunda Bee-Keeping Initiative.

Eating a jackfruit. It was delicious!

It was a phenomenal trip. I bonded with PCVs from seven other West African countries. We laughed. We celebrated American Independence together. We ate well. We drank Julbrew…the ONLY beer in The Gambia. Above all, we became cognizant of the magnitude of food insecurities in West Africa and the importance of regional collaboration.