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NCU,
The Gambia
The
Tanji Fisheries Community
Tanji
is one of the busiest fish landing and processing centres in The Gambia.
. Initially a farming community it developed into a fishing village with
arrival of migrant fishermen and their families, and now has a
population of between 12 and 15 thousand people.
Tanji
produces about 9000 tonnes out of the national total of 20,000 tonnes of
bonga (Ethmalosa fimbriata) per annum and handles many other diverse
species. About 350 fishermen operate 54 fishing boats and many others in
the community are engaged in fisheries related activities.
The
government established Tanji Community Fisheries Centre (CFC) with
financial assistance from the European Community. It now has a
ten-ton-ice plant to support the fisheries operations of the community.
The Tanji CFC has attracted both local and foreign people who use it for
various socio-economic and business activities.
Problems
with Credit
Lack
of access to credit and finance by fisheries communities has been a
major constraint on activities of artisanal fisheries development in The
Gambia,. This problem has been caused by factors such as lack of
collateral and distrust by credit institutions that are suspicious of
fishermen’s supposed migratory tendencies, even if they have lived in
the same village for generations.
However,
effective sources of credit are being made available by raising the
awareness of the fisheries communities in the SFLP. The SFLP has
provided technical and financial support to fisheries villages in The
Gambia and encouraged the use of the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA)
in development activities.
In
August 2000 the Tanji Artisanal Fisheries Community Development Fund (TAFCDF)
project was approved as a SFLP community project. The Tanji community
had identified the lack of adequate gender sensitive sources of credit
and finance as one of its priority constraints. The project aimed to
improve the human, social and financial assets of the fisheries
community in order to facilitate their access to credit. The NCU
collaborates with the National Association of Cooperative Credit Unions
of The Gambia (NACCUG), the Fisheries Department and the local community,
to help implement the project, which is managed by the community itself.
Since
the project began membership and savings have increased dramatically and
the credit needs of the community are now being met. The development of
a local financial institution (Natangeh Savings and Credit Scheme) is
another achievement by the Tanji community. So far it is making it
easier for members to access credit to be used in fisheries and
non-fisheries economic activities.
Development
of the Tanji Partnership with the SFLP
The
first stage in project implementation was to deliver induction
activities with the local community for the project, which they had
chosen. The various trade group associations of the community were
unified at this time under the Tanji Natangeh Cooperative Credit Union.
The Director of Fisheries launched the project in April 2001.
A
Board of Directors (Management Committee) and sub-committees (supervisory,
loans and later a project monitoring committee) were installed, with
members selected from the respective trade group associations by their
own members. A voluntary secretary bookkeeper was also identified to
serve these committees.
NACCUG
implemented a programme of training in order to build capacity within
the community. This covered general membership training involving
sensitisation, education and awareness building on the philosophy and
principles of credit and savings schemes. Other specific training
activities for elected members of the committees centred on management,
planning, bookkeeping and record keeping for secretaries and bookkeepers,
records management, financial management, supervision etc.
Mulomp
Faye, an experienced woman executive member of Natangeh, said:
“All
our individual associations came together under Natangeh. Individuals
and small groups got registered with Natangeh Credit Union and we did
training in various methods of doing things. Each member got registered
with payment of an entry fee of D50 (D30 for registration and D20 for
membership shares). We agreed with NACCUG that every member must save
regularly for six months or save an amount of eight hundred Gambian
Dalasi (about US$40) before one can have credit. Annual interest was set
at 15%, which we can review.”
The
credit union has grown steadily from inception. Baboucarr Sarr,
voluntary secretary and bookkeeper said :
“The
TADFDF credit union started with only 65 members in 2000 but the
membership now stands at 180 (8th August 2002).
The importance and benefits of the savings and credit scheme is
very obvious from the fast rate of increase in membership, the amounts
saved and credit obtained and the way it is used by people. Total
savings accumulated to about D160,000. Many members are saving
constantly. One member (a fish trader) has saved over D36,000 (US$1800)
and the highest loan given out so far to an individual member is D29,000
(US$1450). No individual has ever saved or obtained a credit of these
amounts in the community before”.
In
January 2002 TADFDF applied for a loan of D65,000 from NACCUG to
purchase a van for fish marketing and distribution. A supplementary loan
of D12,000 was then used for licensing and customs clearance of the
vehicle. These loans are to be repaid in one year at 18% annual interest.
D2,000 was also taken from members savings at 15% interest for
operational costs to run the van (i.e. to buy ice, fish and fuel).
The
Benefits of the SFLP/TAFCDF Partnership
The
SFLP community project is now making an impact on the social and
economic status of the Tanji community. A higher level of organised
savings, credit and financial management has been instituted under
Natangeh. A culture of sound financial management is developing as a
result of improved knowledge and awareness of secure savings and credit
facilities. There has been a positive reaction to the savings and credit
scheme and there is a strong sense of unity within the credit union.
More recently the management committee has recommended another
training programme be provided for the growing number of individuals
interested in
becoming members.
Fishermen’s
efficiency has been improved with the use of more efficient gear bought
from the savings and credit scheme. They now venture further out to sea
for bigger catches and higher profits, fish traders are exploiting
markets they where not previously able to access.
They are, now able to distribute fish to distant inland markets
as they can afford to buy ice, which is necessary to preserve the
perishable product, from the Tanji ice plant. Fish processors (smokers
and dryers) can process more fish with their increased financial
capacity to buy more fish.
Some
fish smokers are constructing improved smoke ovens to increase
processing capacity. The community
savings and
credit scheme has also demonstrated how a holistic approach towards
development can benefit other operators indirectly i.e. fish
transporters, vendors, (Dunnula) who can also save and obtain credit
from the scheme. Some members operate more effectively with increased
economic activities and improvements in their living standards. Mrs.
Mulomp Faye, a fish processor and trader said:
“Initially
we operated “Tontines” in our kafoolu (associations) for short
periods making monthly contributions of five dalasi per weekly meetings,
and rotating credit to members. These informal savings and credit
schemes organised by our groups such as the “Mbeala Sama” Kafoo (our
tomorrow association) were good
for us but the process was slow and people not very serious with
it. But we gained a lot of experience from these savings and credit
schemes. That is why when the credit union project came with evidence
for more secure savings and credit, we embraced it. Our members are now
confident in the scheme”.
Mr.
Abdou Kumba Njie a management committee member and fisherman said:
“I
obtained a loan from the credit union scheme to buy extra fishing nets
that have revitalised and improved my fishing activities. With the
additional nets I bought with the loan, I now make higher catches of
fish than before. So the project benefits me and family. We now only
have to make it sustainable by being serious about it”.
In
general the SFLP project has made many members of Natangeh more
productive in their fisheries and related activities. Members’ loans
are used for various purposes including operating costs for fishing,
fish processing, marketing, small businesses, payment of school fees,
student travel and house construction. Furthermore, the special
relationship between NACCUG and the community means they now have access
to
credit
and savings that are effectively managed. This is also helping to break
down socio-economic barriers between fisheries families and the wider
community.
There
is little doubt holistic approach adopted by the Tanji community project
has helped to improve access to credit and is contributing to food
security and poverty reduction in the fishing community. It also
contributes to raising the income of the fishing community, which will
lead to improvements in their quality of life.
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